COUNTY  SERIES  READ 


Montague 
County 


MRS*  W,  R,  POTTER 


COUNTY  SERIES  READER 


HISTORY  of 

MONTAGUE 

COUNTY 


ERA  1 — Immigration 
ERA  2 — Organization 
ERA  3— Progress 


E.  l_.  STECK    fe-::/  ;Vs>    AUSTIN 


"The  American  Republic  is  not  leagues  and  fur- 
longs; it  is  not  wealth;  it  is  not  power.  It  is  em- 
bodied liberty,  regulated  by  law ;  it  is  liberty  resting 
upon  organized  institutions,  through  which  society 
and  civilization  may  blossom  into  their  fullest  and 
fairest  flower. ' ' 


bancroic  Library 
i  o,  -a  «-  * 

EXPLANATION. 


It  was  the  first  purpose  of  the  author  of  this  book 
to  write  a  history  that  would  only  be  read  in  the 
homes  of  the  county;  but,  after  much  deliberation 
and  consultation  with  those  best  fitted  to  know,  it 
was  decided  to  condense  the  work  and  put  it  in  a 
form  that  could  be  studied  as  a  supplementary  reader 
in  the  public  schools  of  this  county. 

Believing  that  such  a  study  would  tend  to  culti- 
vate that  patriotism  which  is  the  heritage  of  every 
American  citizen,  and  cause  our  youths  to  look  with 
a  greater  degree  of  reverence  upon  the  early  settlers 
of  this  county,  the  writer  makes  this  explanation 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  so  kindly  given 
the  data  which  this  book  contains,  that  they  may 
know  why  some  of  the  smaller  details  are  left  out. 
The  sketches  of  Indian  depredations  necessarily  had 
to  be  condensed  for  school  purposes.  The  author 
also  wishes  to  express  a  sincere  appreciation  to  the 
following  friends  who  have  assisted  greatly  in  the 
compiling  of  this  history :  Mr.  Bud  Morris,  Mr.  Cash 
McDonald,  Mr.  C.  Moore,  Mr.  C.  Grant,  Mr.  Joe  Box, 
Mr.  Bob  Savage,  Mr.  Levi  Ferryman,  Mr.  W.  E.  Bel- 
lows, Mr.  S.  G.  Dowell,  Mrs.  Charlie  Moore,  Mrs. 
Charlie  Grant,  Mrs.  Levi  Blankenship,  Mrs.  Nettie 
Bellows,  Mrs.  Bob  Savage,  Mrs.  Chesley  Marlett. 


PREFACE. 


This  book,  partially,  owes  its  origin  to  the  encour- 
agement of  friends,  who,  long  ago,  urged  me  to  at- 
tempt a  work  which  would  serve  to  illustrate  and 
perpetuate  the  epoch-making  periods  of  the  history 
of  Montague  County.  I  have  never  wished  more 
earnestly  than  now  that  these  pages  were  possessed 
of  a  merit  which  might  outlive  my  time,  so  at  least 
these  lines  might  remain  as  a  record  of  the  excel- 
lence of  the  people  whom  I  loved  and  among  whom 
it  is  my  pleasure  to  live. 

The  genuine  hardihood  and  true  nobility  of  the 
pioneers  of  our  county  have  never  been  fully  appre- 
ciated. Their  deeds  of  heroism  and  courage  equalled 
those  enacted  by  their  ancestors  in  the  early  days 
of  the  "Colonies."  There  were  dangers  untold, 
dreadful  days  and  nights  of  anxiety ;  Indian  battles 
were  fought,  fierce  and  long;  many  a  father,  many 
a  brother,  sleeps  where  he  fell,  the  forgotten,  silent 
hero  of  civilization's  advance. 

Naturally,  too,  the  interests  of  these  pioneer  peo- 
ple became  interwoven  with  each  other,  and,  as 
will  be  seen,  when  Indian  dangers  lurked,  and  the 
mutterings  of  war  were  heard  throughout  the  land, 
they  were  drawn  still  closer  together,  and  the  citi- 
zens became  as  brothers,  with  the  same  feelings 
stirring  their  hearts. 

I  would  not  give  the  men  the  praise  alone,  for 


vi.  PREFACE. 

many  a  covered  wagon,  as  it  rolled  away  from  home 
and  loved  ones  bore  many  a  tearful,  heartsore  daugh- 
ter as  she  bade  farewell  to  father  and  mother  to 
follow  the  fortunes  of  her  husband,  who,  answering 
the  call  of  the  wild,  determined  to  make  for  them- 
selves a  home  in  the  beautiful  west.  Dangers  lurked 
on  every  hand,  but  they  were  brave ;  privations 
awaited  them,  but  they  were  enduring.  Hope  de- 
ferred, which  maketh  the  heart  sick,  was  theirs,  but 
God  gave  them  patience.  What  a  heritage  of  pro- 
gress, power  and  strength  they  have  given  us. 

In  attempting  this  work  I  have  endeavored  to 
study  the  times  and  characters  diligently.  In  these 
pages  I  have  tried  to  represent  the  history  as  it  was 
and  is.  As  a  people  we  are  prone  to  go  beyond  the 
limits  of  home  for  talent,  progress  and  beauty  of 
scenery,  but  I  venture  to  hope  the  reader  will  obtain 
from  these  pages  a  better  opinion  of  the  importance 
of  the  county  in  which  we  live.  More  especially 
do  I  hope  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  those  "mak- 
ers of  history, "  the  noble  pioneer  men  and  women 
who  endured  privations  and  hardships,  battlings 
with  the  Indians,  and  the  internal  strifes  incident 
to  the  civil  war,  that  the  foundation  for  a  successful 
and  progressive  citizenship  might  be  made.  It  is  to 
these  men  and  women  this  book  is  most  respectfully 
dedicated  by  the  author. 

MRS,  W.  R.  POTTER. 

Bowie,  Texas. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Texas  '. 1 

Early  History  of  Austin 5 

Indians — Some  of  their  characteristics 8 

Sad  Fate  of  Daniel  Wainscot  and  Jack  Kilgore 13 

Example  of  Indian  Cruelties  to  Animals 19 

Death  of  Spencer  Moore  and  His  Son,  Ira 21 

Attack  on  Jim  Box  and  His  Family 24 

An  Exciting   Chase 27 

The  Fate  of  One  Indian 28 

Death  of  Two  Young  Boys 29 

Indians  Slay  Nathan  Long 31 

Capture  of  the  McElroy  Children 38 

Indians  Charge  on  Mr.  Jackson's  Home 40 

Death  of  Lieutenant  Van  Roberts 42 

Another  Indian  Raid 47 

Indian  Raid  Near  Spanish  Fort 51 

Capture  of  Dick  Freeman  and  John  Bailey... 53 

The  Lost   Soldier 59 

Among  Other  Indian  Cruelties 63 

An  Indian  Attack 65 

Queen 's  Peak  Incident 66 

Old  Tip's  Dislike  for  the  Indians 68 

Indians  Disturb  Preaching  Service 71 

An  Indian  Skirmish 75 

A  Pioneer  Woman 's  Experience  With  the  Indians  75 

Death  of  Andy  Powers 77 


viii.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Indian  Cunning 78 

Brother  and  Sister  Defend  Their  Mother's  Home     80 

Fate  of  the  Keenan  and  Paschal  Families 87 

Easter  Sunday,  1871 93 

Story  of  Beale  and  Maxey  Families 94 

Charging  Victoria  Peak,  summer  of  1870 98 

Indian  Masquerades  as  Woman 99 

Indians  Attack  Lee  Home 101 

Satanta  ...... 102 

The  Indian  Crossing 106 

The  Last  Indian  Raid  in  Montague  County :....  107 

Jim  Ned  Look  Out 114 

Brushy  Mound 115 

The  Home  of  My  Early  Days 118 

The  Home  Life  of  the  Pioneer 119 

To  the  Boys  and  Girls 128 

I'll  Do  What  I  Can 130 

Ode  to  Montague  County 131 

Montague    County 133 

Texas  Rangers 146 

The  Southland ! 149 

The  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy 150 

The  Old  Coat  of  Gray 157 

United   Confederate   Veterans 159 

Progressive  Montague  County 163 

Patriotism   .  ..  184 


TEXAS. 


Blessed  are  all  free  people, 

Too  strong  to  be  dispossessed, 

But  blessed  are  those  among  nations, 
Who  dare  to  be  strong  for  the  rest.7' 

One  bright  spring  morning  Tom  was  strolling 
about  the  capitol  grounds  in  Austin.  Now,  Tom  was 
not  of  a  very  artistic  temperament,  but  the  scene 
was  so  beautiful  that  even  he  could  not  help  but 
admire  it.  All  nature  was  out  in  holiday  attire.  The 
air  was  fragrant  with  dewy  blossoms.  The  Texas 
blue  bonnets  were  waving  a  cordial  welcome,  and 
over  all  shone  the  blue  of  a  Texas  sky.  I  wish,  pu- 
pils, that  you  would  study  with  your  teacher  the 
wonderful  colorings  in  our  Texas  sky.  It  would 
soon  have  a  peculiar  charm  for  you.  Sometimes  it 
grows  angry,  and  the  mutterings  of  thunder  is  heard, 
and  it  darts  vivid  tongues  of  lightning  in  your  path. 
Again  it  is  as  peaceful  as  a  New  England  Sabbath — 
with  the  most  exquisite  colorings  of  blue  and  yellow 
and  gold,  with  softened  tints  of  gray.  At  other 
times  wearing  a  soft  pink,  like  the  blush  on  a  Texas 
maiden's  cheek. 


2  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

"The  sky  is  a  drinking  cup, 

That  was  overturned  of  old, 
And  it  pours  in  the  eyes  of  men 

Its  wine  of  airy  gold; 
We  drink  that  wine  all  day, 

Till  the  last  drop  is  drained  up, 
And  are  lighted  to  our  bed 

By  the  jewels  in  the  cup.77 

As  Tom  strolled  about,  his  footsteps  led  him  to 
a  handsome  granite  monument.  Let  me  see  to  whom 
this  monument  is  erected.  As  he  read  the  historic 
inscription  engraved  upon  it,  he  saw  that  this  was 
the  silent  tribute  of  honor  erected  to  the  memory  of 
those  noble  Texas  heroes  who  loyally  gave  their 
lives  for  the  cause  they  loved  so  well;  that  cause 
so  dear  to  every  American  heart,  Liberty.  Engraved 
upon  this  monument  were  these  sad  but  significant 
words,  "Thermopylae  had  her  messenger  of  defeat, 
the  Alamo  had  none. ' ' 

Now,  Tom  had  been  a  diligent  student  of  Texas 
history,  just  as  you  will  be  later  on,  and  quite  natu- 
rally his  thoughts  turned  to  that  scene  in  the  old 
mission  building.  In  his  imagination  he  could  see 
the  immortal  Travis  as  he  gathered  his  little  band 
of  brave  men  about  him,  and  how  gallantly  they  per- 
ished for  Texas,  and  how  the  cruel  Santa  Anna  had 
their  bodies  burned.  Mrs.  Pennybacker,  in  her  His- 
tory of  Texas,  says:  "As  the  Sabbath  sun  sank 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  3 

slowly  in  the  west,  the  smoke  from  that  funeral 
pyre  of  heroes  ascended  to  heaven.  From  that  sa- 
cred fire  sprang  the  flames  that  lighted  all  Texas, 
that  consumed  many  Mexican  lives,  and  caused  even 
the  Napoleon  of  the  West  to  bow  low  his  haughty 
head."  One  of  the  last  official  acts  of  President 
Tyler  was  to  sign  a  bill  providing  for  the  annexation 
of  Texas  to  the  Union,  making  it  a  law.  On  Febru- 
ary 19th,  1846,  Texas  became  subject  to  the  laws  of 
the  United  States,  after  the  people  had  voted  almost 
unanimously  in  favor  of  it.  Never  did  the  United 
States  of  America  receive  a  fairer  daughter.  With 
her  trees,  her  streams,  her  flower  decked  prairies, 
she  brought  with  her  men  of  brain  and  brawn ;  wom- 
en of  faith  and  courage ;  she  brought  with  her  an 
empire  territory,  exceeding  in  extent  most  of  the 
governments  of  the  world.  Texas  brought  the 
United  States  an  area  of  265,780  square  miles,  or 
170,926,080  acres.  Its  greatest  extent  from  north  to 
south  is  760  miles,  and  740  miles  from  east  to  west. 

The  public  school  system  of  Texas  ranks  well  with 
that  of  other  States,  although  our  public  educators 
are  not  entirely  satisfied  with  the  present  system, 
but  are  constantly  reaching  out  along  more  progress- 
ive lines.  Texas  comprises  a  variety  of  soil  and  cli- 
mate, and  its  productions  are  of  equal  variety. 
Texas  ranks  first  among  the  States  in  many  lines  of 
production  and  industry.  She  is  first  in  area,  rail- 
way mileage,  cotton,  cattle,  mules,  goats,  honey. 


4  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

pecans,  turkeys,  and  watermelons.  She  also  ranks 
well  in  the  raising  of  grain,  hogs  and  poultry. 

Swiftly  flowing  streams,  along  whose  banks  the 
"children  of  the  forest"  were  wont  to  roam  in  the 
long  ago,  have  given  place  to  thriving  towns  and 
progressive  cities.  The  noisy  brook  goes  hurrying 
by  as  it  babbles  to  us  of  Texas,  her  glorious  past, 
her  gracious  present,  and  her  magnificent  future. 

From  East  Texas,  where  it  has  been  said  "the 
pine  trees  grow  so  tall  they  tickle  the  feet  of  the 
angels,"  to  West  Texas,  where  the  green  pastures 
provide  for  the  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills;  from 
North  Texas  on  to  where  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  laves 
her  southern  shores,  Texas  is  teeming  with  the  splen- 
did gifts  which  nature  has  bestowed  upon  her,  and 
the  smoke  curls  peacefully  from  thousands  of  happy 
homes.  See  the  great  tide  of  immigration  that  is 
constantly  flowing  across  her  borders.  From  the 
east,  from  the  west,  and  from  far  to  the  north  of  us 
they  come.  All  the  States  contributing  to  this  great 
commonwealth  of  ours. 

On  the  morning  mentioned  in  the  beginning  Tom's 
thoughts  dwelt  again  on  the  monument  upon  which 
their  names  stood  out  in  bold  relief.  He  reviewed 
the  path  of  progress  made  possible  by  these  heroic 
men,  and  he  said  aloud:  "Ah!  Bonham,  Travis, 
Crockett,  Bowie,  you  builded  far  better  than  you 
knew."  And  now,  pupils,  are  you  not  glad  that  our 
own  county  of  Montague  forms  a  part  of  this  great 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  5 

State,   with  its   vast   resources,   and   its  wonderful 
history  ? 

In  the  following  chapters  you  must  pay  especial 
attention  to  the  part  your  county  plays  in  Texas — 
the  Lone  Star  State. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  AUSTIN. 

It  is  fitting  that  every  boy  and  girl  in  our  county 
should  be  familiar  with  the  location  of  our  State 
capital.  It  is  the  capital  for  Montague  county,  just 
as  it  is  for  the  other  counties  which  go  to  make 
up  the  great  State  of  Texas.  Let  us  see  what  we 
can  learn  that  will  be  of  interest  to  us.  First,  we 
find  that  six  years  before  Texas  was  made  a  part  of 
the  United  States  the  founders  of  the  "Republic 
of  Texas,'7  of  which  you  will  learn  more  when  you 
take  up  the  study  of  State  history,  appointed  a  com- 
mission to  select  a  place  for  a  permanent  seat  of 
government.  This  city  they  named  Austin,  in  honor 
of  the  founder  of  Texas.  It  is  situated  near  the 
center  of  the  State,  on  the  Colorado  River,  in  Travis 
County.  It  is  here  that  our  magnificent  granite 
capitol  building  stands.  This  building  is  located 
near  the  center  of  the  city,  and  from  its  upper  sto- 
ries a  commanding  view  of  the  country  is  to  be  had. 
From  east  to  west  this  building  is  600  feet  long; 
from  north  to  south,  287  feet  deep,  and  the  height 


6  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

of  the  apex  of  the  dome  is  313  feet,  being  six  feet 
higher  than  our  national  capitol  at  Washington, 
D.  C.  The  exterior  walls  are  built  of  Texas  red 
granite,  brought  from  the  quarries  of  Burnet  County. 
This  granite  is  pronounced  by  experts  to  be  as  fine 
as  any  in  the  world.  Wherever  it  was  possible,  Texas 
material  has  been  used  in  the  building,  and  nearly 
all  the  material  is  native  growth.  There  are  258 
rooms,  900  windows  and  500  doors.  The  wainscoting 
is  made  of  oak,  ash,  pine,  cedar,  cherry,  mahogany 
and  walnut — the  aggregate  length  of  which  is  said 
to  -be  about  seven  miles.  The  building  covers  three 
acres  of  ground,  and  has  about  eighteen  acres  of 
floor  space.  A  Chicago  syndicate  erected  this  capitol 
building  for  a  consideration  of  three  million  acres 
of  Texas  land.  The  building  was  begun  in  1882  and 
completed  in  1888.  So,  you  see,  they  were  six  years 
building  this  great  capitol,  of  which  Texas  people 
are  justly  proud.  And  why  not  take  a  pride  in  it? 
With  the  exception  of  the  capitol  building  at  Wash- 
ington it  is  the  largest  building  in  the  United  States, 
and  the  seventh  largest  building  in  the  world.  Do 
not  forget  this  fact.  It  may  be  your  privilege  to 
visit  Austin  some  time  and  go  through  this  great 
structure.  When  you  go,  do  not  fail  to  go  over  the 
beautiful  grounds.  You  will  find  miles  of  cement 
and  gravel  walks,  leading  in  all  directions ;  you  will 
see  beautiful  fountains,  artificial  lakes  and  pools, 
sparkling  in  the  sunshine,  and  in  which  the  gold  fish 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  7 

are  swimming  about,  while  beautiful  plants  of  gor- 
geous hue  are  blooming  on  every  side. 

Be  sure  you  visit  the  ' '  Capitol  Green  House. ' '  This 
beautiful  addition  to  the  capitol  grounds  was  erected 
under  the  supervision  of  a  former  Montague  County 
citizen,  Mr.  "W.  C.  Day,  while  he  was  Superintendent 
of  Public  Buildings  and  Grounds  during  the  Camp- 
bell administration.  You  will  recognize  this  green 
house  by  a  single  large  gold  star  over  the  entrance. 
The  flowers  grown  here  are  for  use  in  the  Governor's 
mansion,  just  across  the  way,  and  are  of  many  and 
rare  varieties. 

On  the  left  of  the  broad  walk  leading  to  the  main 
entrance  to  the  capitol  you  will  see  the  Terry  Ran- 
gers' and  the  Firemen's  monuments,  and  on  the  right 
side  two  monuments  dear  to  every  Texan's  heart, 
one  erected  to  the  Confederacy,  the  other  to  the  he- 
roes of  the  Alamo. 

The  two  main  departments  of  this  great  capitol 
building  are  the  Senate  chamber  and  the  House  of 
Representatives.  The  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy 
have  a  room  set  apart  for  their  especial  use.  In  this 
room  many  war  relics  are  preserved  that  serve  to 
perpetuate  the  history  of  our  Southland.  There  are 
numerous  other  offices  in  the  capitol  building  oc- 
cupied by  the  various  State  officers.  There  is  also 
a  handsomely  furnished  reception  room,  set  apart 
for  the  Governor's  use. 

Across  the  street  from  the  capitol  building  is  the 


8  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Governor's  mansion,  a  fine  old  colonial  building 
that  has  been  the  home  for  so  many  Texas  Gover- 
nors and  their  families. 


INDIANS— SOME  OF  THEIR  CHARACTERISTICS 

"Alas!  the  poor  Indian, 

With  untutored  mind, 
Finds  God  in  the  clouds, 
And  again  in  the  wind. ' ' 

But  little  is  known  of  the  real  origin  of  the  North 
American  Indian.  Many  historians,  with  as  many 
different  theories,  have  undertaken  to  account  for 
the  presence  of  the  Indians  in  the  New  World,  but 
to  this  good  hour  the  problem  remains  practically 
unsolved.  All  writers  agree,  however,  that  they  are 
among  the  oldest  races  of  mankind.  After  much 
study,  all  writers  have  much  the  same  things  to  say 
about  the  Indian. 

As  to  pursuits,  they  rarely  cared  to  cultivate  the 
soil,  but  were  truly  men  of  the  chase.  To  hunt  was 
the  Indian's  favorite  pastime.  They  were  never 
more  contented  than  in  a  country  of  forests,  hills  and 
streams,  where  they  could  hunt  the  bear,  deer  and 
other  wild  game.  In  disposition  the  Indian  is  silent 
and  unsocial,  often  answering  the  politest  ques- 
tion with  a  grunt  or  nod.  With  all  that  has  been 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  9 

done  for  the  Indian  toward  their  civilization,  by 
church  and  school,  their  nature  remains  much  the 
same.  The  Indian  woman,  or  squaw,  as  she  was 
generally  called,  was  nothing  more  than  a  slave  for 
her  warrior  husband. 

As  to  religion,  the  Indians  were  a  superstitious 
race.  They  believed  in  a  Great  Spirit ;  they  believed 
He  ruled  the  elements,  rewarded  the  faithful  and 
punished  the  wicked.  They  built  no  churches,  such 
as  we  have ;  the  medicine  man  was  looked  upon  with 
much  awe  and  respect,  and  they  listened  to  his  say- 
ings. The  happy  hunting  ground  of  his  imagination 
was  his  only  idea  of  a  home  in  the  great  beyond. 
Often  the  trappings  of  a  warrior  were  buried  with 
him,  that  he  might  be  prepared  for  a  continuation 
of  the  sports  and  pastimes  enjoyed  here. 

The  Indian  had  a  great  love  for  war.  Revenge 
was  his  watchword.  To  forgive,  to  show  any  sign 
of  sympathy  or  regret  was  considered  a  weakness. 
They  were  cunning  and  treacherous.  To  meet  a  foe 
in  the  open  was  not  to  their  liking.  They  delighted 
to  lie  in  wait  and  spring  upon  him  unawares.  Their 
especial  pleasure  was  to  torture  their  captives,  and 
it  was  in  this  fiendish  pastime  that  the  real  savage 
nature  shone  without  reserve.  His  home  was  a 
wigwam.  His  clothing,  for  the  most  part,  consisted 
of  a  blanket  thrown  over  his  shoulders,  sometimes 
bound  about  him,  and  at  other  times  worn  as  a 
loosely  flowing  robe.  They  sometimes  wore  hats 


10  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

to  deceive  the  settlers  into  thinking  they  were  white 
men.  He  delighted  to  adorn  himself  with  beaded 
ornaments,  to  paint  his  face  in  bright  colors,  and, 
more  than  all,  he  prized  the  scalp  of  the  white  man 
as  an  especial  adornment.  Dressed  in  this  manner, 
and  with  unearthly  yells,  did  he  like  to  descend 
upon  an  unsuspecting  settler  and  his  family  to  kill 
and  scalp  them,  take  some  captive  and  lay  waste 
their  home,  kill  their  cattle  and  steal  their  horses. 

The  great  warfare  between  the  white  man  and  the 
Indian  (as  we  all  know)  began  when  the  white  man 
determined  to  take  from  the  Indian  his  home.  Inch 
by  inch  they  contested  every  foot  of  the  land  of 
their  fathers.  Step  by  step,  through  stealth  and 
strife,  through  war  and  bloodshed,  they  have  been 
driven  on  by  the  progress  due  to  civilization,  until 
now,  indolent  and  indifferent,  subdued  and  satisfied, 
it  is  difficult  to  think  of  them  as  having  been  the 
warlike  tribes  that  history  describes.  An  early 
writer  of  the  history  of  Northwest  Texas  tells  us 
4 'that  it  is  doubtful  if  any  State  has  suffered  more 
severely  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians  than  has  Texas. 
From  its  earliest  days  they  were  a  constant  menace 
to  all  efforts  at  civilization  and  permanent  habitation. 
The  name  Apache  and  Comanche  have  become  synon- 
ymous for  ferocity  and  bloodthirstiness  and  the 
worst  traits  of  savagery.  And  for  years  the  tribes 
of  that  race  harassed  the  frontier  and  carried  their 
warfare  into  the  heart  of  the  settlements. ' ' 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  11 

The  history  of  Indian  warfare  and  outrage  in 
Texas  would  fill  volumes.  During  the  period  of  which 
this  is  written,  the  sole  ambition  of  the  Indians 
who  raided  Montague  County  was  to  steal  horses 
and  exterminate  the  whites.  The  settlers  noticed 
certain  peculiarities  belonging  to  the  Indians.  If 
they  recovered  a  stolen  horse,  and  it  had  its  ears 
split,  they  knew  the  Comanches  had  stolen  it.  If 
it  had  one  ear  split  and  the  other  ear  cropped, 
they  knew  the  Kiowas  had  stolen  it.  They  learned 
to  look  for  Indian  raids  on  moonlight  nights.  We, 
of  today,  look  forward  to  our  beautiful  moonlight 
nights  with  pleasure ;  it  is  then  we  delight  to  have 
our  moonlight  socials,  our  protracted  meetings,  and 
to  visit  our  friends.  Not  so  in  early  days.  These 
were  nights  of  anxiety  and  dread  to  the  settler. 
They  observed  that  the  fiercest  dog  would  not  mo- 
lest an  Indian,  nor  would  it  even  bark  if  a  large 
band  of  Indians  were  to  surround  his  master's  house 
at  night.  The  exact  cause  of  this  is  unknown — 
some  attributed  it  to  fear,  others  thought  it  was 
due  to  some  charm  the  Indian  cast  over  the  dog. 
The  Indian  was  also  master  of  the  art  of  handling 
horses.  He  could  take  a  horse  that  a  white  man 
considered  tired  and  worn  out  from  a  long  day's 
ride  and  had  exhausted  all  efforts  to  make  him 
travel  faster.  The  Indian  could  mount  the  same 
horse  and  by  some  unknown  means  cause  him  to 
travel  equal  to  a  fresh  horse.  The  Indian  had  many 


12  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

forms  of  amusement — among  them  the  war  dance. 
In  conducting  this  dance  sometimes  the  warriors 
danced  alone,  but  frequently  the  women  were  per- 
mitted to  join  in  the  dance,  too.  They  circled 
around  and  around,  meanwhile  chanting  the  weird, 
monotonous  songs  of  their  tribes.  These  dances 
have  been  the  means  of  attracting  large  crowds  to 
many  of  the  western  towns  where  on  such  occasions 
as  barbecues,  county  fairs,  etc.,  the  Indians  are  per- 
suaded to  attend  and  give  their  dance  for  the 
amusement  of  the  onlookers.  They  had  other 
amusements,  such  as  wrestling,  running,  leaping, 
shooting  at  a  mark,  racing  in  canoes  and  many 
other  games.  They  were  much  given  to  the  gam- 
bling spirit,  and  in  a  moment  of  excitement  would 
sometimes  wager  all  they  possessed.  They  love  to- 
bacco, and  it  has  been  said  that  no  race  has  suc- 
cumbed so  quickly  to  the  liquor  habit.  It  was  with 
these  wild  untutored  people,  who  gave  no  mercy  nor 
asked  any,  that  the  early  settlers  of  Montague  and 
adjoining  counties  had  to  battle  for  the  homes  of 
peace  and  plenty  we  now  enjoy. 

In  the  following  pages  will  be  given,  in  con- 
densed form,  a  list  of  "Indian  Depredations"  and 
their  dates — not  all  the  county  suffered,  but  enough 
for  the  boys  and  girls  of  today  to  know  and  to 
appreciate  the  dangers  the  pioneers  endured : 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  13 


SAD  FATE  OF  DANIEL  WAINSCOT  AND  JACK 

KILGORE,  AND  THRILLING  EXPERIENCE 

OF  MRS.  BOB  WAINSCOT. 

In  1858  John  Willingham  and  Bob  Wainscot  built 
for  themselves  a  substantial  log  cabin  in  what  was 
then  called  Buchanan  Valley,  but  is  now  known  as 
the  Frank  Biggers  place,  on  Denton  Creek,  it  being 
the  custom  in  those  days  for  two  or  more  families  to 
live  together  for  protection  from  the  Indians.  This 
portion  of  Montague  County  offered  many  induce- 
ments for  the  industrious  man,  and  as  they  builded 
their  home  and  surveyed  the  fertile  little  valley, 
future  hopes  ran  high.  On  September  4  their  fam- 
ilies arrived.  The  following  day  being  Sunday  the}1 
went  to  the  home  of  Daniel  "Wainscot.  There  they 
found  a  large  company,  about  thirty  in  number,  as- 
sembled to  spend  the  day.  We  can  imagine  them 
enjoying  the  hospitality  of  this  good  pioneer  home. 
The  women  are  busy  preparing  dinner,  as  they  dis- 
cuss their  everyday  home  lives.  Occasionally  a 
shadow  of  fear  crosses  their  faces,  and  an  unexpect- 
ed noise  causes  them  to  turn  pale,  for  danger  may  be 
lurking  near.  Their  anxious  looks  linger  longest 
on  their  little  ones,  and  very  tenderly  they  smooth 
the  curly  heads  and  kiss  the  rosy  cheeks,  and  a 
mist  comes  before  their  eyes  as  they  ever  remem- 
ber that  the  dreaded  Indian  foe  has  no  mercy  on 


14  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

babies.  But  the  ringing  laughter  of  the  children  at 
play  in  the  sunshine  dispels  their  momentary  fear, 
and  they  take  up  the  thread  of  conversation  anew. 
The  men  in  the  front  yard  talked  of  everyday  af- 
fairs, and  gave  an  occasional  word  of  warning  to 
the  newcomers  about  the  Indians. 

The  day  being  clear  and  sunshiny,  the  entire  com- 
pany decided  to  go  over  to  the  new  Willingham  and 
Wainscot  place,  as  they  expressed  it,  just  to  pass 
the  time.  The  following  were  in  the  number :  Cash 
McDonald  and  family,  Daniel  Wainscot  and  family, 
Bob  Wainscot  and  family,  John  Willingham  and 
family,  Fine  McFarland,  Ike  Wainscot,  Jack  Kil- 
gore  and  family. 

Cash  McDonald  drove  his  wagon,  with  a  yoke  of 
steers  hitched  to  it,  and  a  number  of  the  women 
and  children  rode  with  him,  the  others  walking  leis- 
urely along  by  its  side,  as  steers  do  not  travel  fast. 
Bob  Wainscot  and  Jack  Kilgore  were  a  little  in  ad- 
vance of  the  wagon.  When  they  reached  a  point  of 
timber,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  new 
house,  without  a  word  of  warning  seven  Indians 
sprang  out  from  the  woods  upon  them,  uttering  un- 
earthly yells  as  they  came.  Seeing  their  approach 
to  the  house  was  cut  off  by  the  Indians  the  men 
turned  to  run  back  to  the  wagon.  Just  after  they 
reached  it  both  men  were  slain  by  the  Indians.  By 
this  time  the  women  and  children  had  scattered  like 
frightened  birds,  some  going  in  one  direction  and 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  15 

some  in  another.  Contrary  to  their  custom,  the  In- 
dians did  not  take  time  to  scalp  their  victims,  but 
turned  their  attention  to  the  rest  of  the  party.  All 
the  members  of  the  company  managed  to  reach  the 
home  of  John  Wainscot  in  safety,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Cash  McDonald  and  Mrs.  Bob  "Wainscot.  Mr. 
McDonald  held  in  his  arms  his  two-year-old  daugh- 
ter, Mary  (now  Mrs.  Andy  Jackson  of  Bowie).  He 
was  shot  in  the  arm  with  an  arrow,  but  fortunately 
little  Mary  was  unhurt.  Notwithstanding  this,  he 
walked  twelve  miles,  shunning  the  road,  for  fear  of 
Indians,  still  carrying  the  child  in  his  arms,  reach- 
ing Bill  Freeman's  house  in  the  night.  They  pulled 
the  arrow  from  his  arm,  which  had  remained  there 
all  of  these  hours,  and  was  very  painful.  Mrs.  Bob 
Wainscot  also  had  a  thrilling  experience.  In  the 
confusion  following  the  attack  by  the  Indians  she 
became  separated  from  her  husband.  Looking  back, 
she  saw  an  Indian  shoot  her  husband,  who  fell  with 
their  four-year-old  daughter  in  his  arms.  She  sup- 
posed both  were  killed,  but  the  Indians  passed  on 
and  they  made  their  way  to  safety.  She  proceeded 
on  her  way,  running  with  her  six-weeks-old  baby 
in  her  arms.  (Now  Mrs.  Huse  Wainscot  of  Denver.) 
She  came  upon  Mr.  Cash  McDonald,  who,  as  has  al- 
ready been  told,  had  his  little  daughter  with  him. 
The  child  was  sick,  and  crying  aloud  for  her  mother. 
They  could  not  quiet  her  by  any  means,  so  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald said,  "If  Mary  continues  to  cry  this  way  she 


16  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

may  attract  the  Indians,  and  they  will  come  and 
kill  us  all.  It  is  hard  for  you  to  start  out  through 
the  woods  alone,  but  it  may  be  the  means  of  saving 
your  life  and  that  of  your  baby. ' '  It  was  a  fearful 
moment,  but  the  half  distracted  woman  decided  to 
take  his  advice  and  started  through  the  woods  alone. 
Having  just  come  into  the  neighborhood  the  day  be- 
fore she  was  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  coun- 
try. Her  one  thought  was  to  travel  in  the  direction 
of  the  old  home  she  had  left.  On  and  on  the  terror 
stricken  woman  went.  She  traveled  all  the  after- 
noon and  that  night  over  stones  and  hollows,  through 
briars  and  thickets ;  the  next  day  found  her  between 
Bradin's  Bluff  and  Clear  Creek,  having  traveled  in 
her  wanderings  about  thirty  miles.  In  all  this  time 
she  had  eaten  but  two  wild  plums.  About  12  o  'clock 
that  day,  hungry  and  almost  exhausted,  she  paused 
to  rest  for  a  short  time  near  a  hollow.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  her  flight  she  had  lost  her  sunbonnet.  Her 
hair  had  become  loosened  and  fell  about  her  face  in 
such  a  manner  that  her  features  could  not  be  dis- 
cerned without  close  scrutiny.  A  band  of  white  men, 
who  had  heard  of  the  raid  and  started  out  to  aid  in 
the  capture  of  the  Indians,  came  upon  Mrs.  Wain- 
scot quite  suddenly.  Seeing  her  long  black  hair  fall- 
ing in  Indian  fashion  about  her  face  they  mistook 
her  for  an  Indian  squaw  and  paused  an  instant,  be- 
fore approaching,  not  knowing  what  might  await 
them.  She  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  men,  and  be- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  17 

lieving  them  to  be  Indians,  she  ran  with  her  baby 
clasped  to  her  breast.  She  hid  in  a  washed  out  place 
in  the  hillside.  The  men  found  her  there,  and  she 
was  overjoyed  to  learn  they  were  white  men.  She 
poured  out  her  story  to  them  between  sobs.  One  of 
the  men  took  her  behind  him  on  his  horse,  while  an- 
other carried  the  baby  in  his  arms.  They  took  her 
to  the  home  of  Mr.  John  Wainscot,  where  to  her 
great  joy  she  found  her  husband  and  little  daugh- 
ter. 

The  remains  of  the  two  men  who  were  slain  by 
the  Indians  were  removed  to  the  home  of  Anderson 
White.  As  his  house  was  the  largest  in  the  neigh- 
borhood the  entire  settlement  was  invited  to  come 
there  and  stay  until  after  the  funerals  of  Jack  Kil- 
gore  and  Daniel  Wainscot,  which  they  accepted.  The 
next  morning  they  were  both  buried  in  the  same 
grave,  in  what  is  now  known  as  Frank  Bigger 's  field. 
They  had  to  be  wrapped  in  blankets  as  there  were 
no  coffins  nearer  than  Gainesville,  or  Decatur,  many 
miles  away,  and  with  the  way  beset  by  perils  on 
every  side.  They  laid  them  to  rest  'neath  two  wide- 
spreading  trees,  and  the  summer  sun  shines  and  the 
winter  snows  fall  softly  upon  the  graves  of  two  of 
the  martyrs  to  the  civilization  we  now  enjoy. 

This  was  one  of  the  first  massacres  by  the  Indians 
to  occur  in  Montague  County  that  we  have  record  of. 
After  the  Indians  left  the  scene  of  the  killing  of  the 
two  men  just  recounted  they  came  up  on  Mr.  Bud 


18  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Morris  of  Montague,  who  was  out  hunting  cows.  He 
was  riding  a  fine  horse.  He  outran  the  Indians  and 
escaped  without  injury.  This  same  band  of  Indians 
went  on  to  Hardy,  about  four  miles  from  Forest- 
burg,  and  stole  forty  head  of  horses  from  Doctor 
Polly.  Dr.  Polly  was  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians 
of  Montague  County.  He  was  also  the  first  county 
judge  of  Montague  County.  He  is  described  as  be- 
ing a  natural  leader  and  a  useful  citizen.  The  coun- 
try was  to  thinly  settled  at  this  time  that  his  ju- 
dicial duties  in  no  way  interfered  with  his  practice 
of  medicine. 

After  the  killing  of  Jack  Kilgore  and  Daniel 
Wainscot  the  people  of  the  settlement  stayed  in 
families  for  protection  from  the  Indians.  Many  of 
them  packed  up  their  belongings  and  moved  near 
Gainesville  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  Indians.  They 
came  back  the  following  November  to  the  same 
homes.  Nothing  had  been  molested, 'but  things  were 
just  as  they  had  left  them.  The  woods  at  this 
time  were  full  of  wolves,  some  bear,  deer,  wild  cats 
and  panther.  "Wild  turkey  was  plentiful,  and  it 
has  been  said  that  nothing  was  more  appetizing  than 
slices  from  the  breast  of  a  turkey  (they  never 
thought  of  eating  any  other  portion  of  it),  broiled 
or  fried  a  delicate  golden  brown,  with  rich  brown 
gravy ;  a  hoe  cake  of  corn  bread  and  a  cup  of  steam- 
ing hot  coffee.  There  was  also  an  abundance  of 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  19 

wild   duck,   geese   and  prairie   chicken,   which  was 
much  relished. 

So  the  settlers  had  no  scarcity  of  meat,  so   far 
as  wild  game  was  concerned. 


EXAMPLE  OF  INDIAN  CRUELTY  TO  ANIMALS. 

On  the  tenth  of  May,  1858,  there  moved  into  the 
community  of  Victoria  Peak,  now  known  as  "Queen's 
Peak,"  Uncle  Johnnie  Roe  and  a  man  named  Cryner. 
They  had  not  had  time  to  build  houses,  so  were 
camped  in  tents  and  covered  wagons.  They  turned 
their  horses  out  to  graze  that  night.  Mr.  Cryner 
had  a  lariat  rope  on  his  horse,  and  Mr.  Roe  had  iron 
hobbles  on  two  mares  and  colts.  In  the  night  the 
Indians  came  and  stole  Mr.  Cryner  7s  horse.  Not 
knowing  how  to  take  the  iron  hobbles  off  the  other 
horses,  and  not  wishing  to  leave  them  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  white  men,  they  cut  their  legs  off,  taking 
the  iron  hobbles  with  them.  They  did  not  molest 
the  campers. 

In  a  few  days  followed  the  killing  by  John  Bradin. 
A  party  of  men  hearing  how  the  Indians  had  muti- 
lated Mr.  Roe's  horses,  started  to  search  for  them. 
There  were  five  white  men  in  the  party,  among  them 
John  Bradin.  When  about  four  miles  northwest  of 
where  Montague  now  stands,  at  a  place  called  "Bar- 
rel Springs,"  they  came  up  on  two  Indians  with  a 


20  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

bunch  of  stolen  horses.  In  the  encounter  which  fol- 
lowed, John  Bradin  killed  one  of  the  Indians.  They 
scalped  him  and  the  other  Indian  ran  away,  leaving 
the  stolen  horses.  Mr.  Bradin  had  an  old  British 
yagur  (now  called  musket),  with  which  he  slew 
the  Indian.  He  himself  was  killed  after  the  war. 


THE  KILLING  OF  LITTLE  HENRY  DAVIS. 

In  February,  1859,  Bill  Davis,  who  lived  in  Gray- 
son  County,  came  to  this  county  to  visit  at  the  home 
of  his  stepfather,  Anderson  White,  who  lived  on 
Denton  Creek.  He  brought  with  him  his  little  son, 
Henry.  They  had  previously  known  Mrs.  McFar- 
land  and  her  children,  and  as  they  passed  the  house 
on  their  way  to  Mr.  White's,  Henry  begged  to  be  al- 
lowed to  stop  and  play  with  the  McFarland  children. 
His  father  consented  to  this,  but  told  him  to  go  to 
Bill  Taylor's  about  2  o'clock  to  feed  and  water 
some  mules  he  had  left  there.  When  the  hour  came 
Henry  obediently  started  on  his  way.  When  about 
half  way  there  the  little  fellow  came  up  on  a  band 
of  Indians.  The  boy,  like  any  other  child  under  like 
circumstances,  started  to  run.  The  Indians  gave 
chase,  and  ran  him  over  a  steep  bank  into  a  hole 
of  water.  He  made  his  way  to  the  opposite  bank. 
They  followed,  killed  and  scalped  him.  On  this 
same  morning  a  man  named  Truelove  had  gone  with 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  21 

a  band  of  men  to  help  trail  a  band  of  Indians.  In 
the  afternoon  he  separated  from  the  party  and 
started  for  his  home  in  the  Ferryman  settlement. 
Without  warning  he  suddenly  came  upon  this  band 
of  Indians  killing  little  Henry  Davis.  He  ran  with 
all  his  might,  crying  loudly  for  help.  As  he  neared 
the  McFarland  home,  Mrs.  McFarland  ran  out  with 
a  gun  to  assist  him.  Together  they  succeeded  in 
frightening  away  the  Indians  that  had  followed  him. 
He  then  told  of  the  boy  the  Indians  were  killing 
as  he  came  up.  She  at  once  thought  it  was  Henry 
Davis.  A  searching  party  went  to  see  and  found 
it  to  be  only  too  true.  When  they  found  him  his 
small  boyish  face  was  turned  toward  the  setting 
sun,  his  mutilated  body  bearing  evidence  of  an- 
other innocent  little  life  being  sacrificed  to  gratify 
Indian  cruelty.  He  was  buried  on  the  Wiley  B. 
Savage  place,  on  Denton  Creek,  seven  miles  south 
of  Montague. 


DEATH  OF  SPENCER  MOORE  AND  HIS  SON, 

IRA,  AT  THE  HANDS  OF  A  BAND 

OF  INDIANS. 

In  a  lonely  cabin,  near  Pittman  Hollow,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1863,  lived  Spencer  Moore,  his  wife  and 
large  family  of  children.  Life,  to  this  good  pioneer 
man  was  a  stern  reality. 


22  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

It  had  been  a  problem  with  him  as  to  how  he 
would  provide  for  so  large  a  family  in  this  frontier 
country. 

Only  one  son,  Ira,  was  large  enough  to  be  of  any 
assistance  to  his  father  in  the  labor  of  breadwinning 
for  the  family.  They  had  succeeded  in  getting  some 
rails  to  maul  from  Lewis  Davis  of  that  neighborhood. 
On  the  day  of  which  I  am  about  to  tell  you,  Mr. 
Moore  and  his  son  were  busy  with  their  work.  As 
they  worked  they  talked  cheerily  together,  for  that 
evening  Mr.  Davis  was  going  to  pay  them  for  their 
entire  work,  and  that  meant  money  enough  to  buy 
plenty  of  corn  for  bread  for  the  remainder  of  the 
year.  How  the  burden  rolled  away  as  the  father 
realized  that  by  his  labor  he  would  be  enabled  to 
provide  for  his  dependent  family  in  this'  simple 
though  necessary  way.  The  noise  of  mauling  the 
rails  could  be  heard  quite  a  distance  through  the 
woods.  About  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  one  of 
the  neighbors,  Mr.  Cash  McDonald,  noticed  that  the 
sound  had  ceased.  The  continued  silence  alarmed 
him,  for  in  "Indian  times"  everything  of  this  kind 
was  taken  notice  of.  The  silence  finally  became  op- 
pressive, for  the  ringing  blows  of  the  rail  makers 
were  not  heard  again.  Thoroughly  aroused  Mr. 
McDonald  and  others  went  to  the  field  to  find  their 
fears  to  be  only  too  true.  Spencer  Moore  and  his 
son  had  both  been  killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians. 
They  supposed  the  boy  had  tried  to  fight  with  his 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  23 

axe  and  perhaps  wounded  some  of  the  Indians  from 
the  quantity  of  blood  scattered  about. 

John  Wainscot  brought  a  wagon  and  took  the 
bodies  to  his  house,  where  they  remained  until 
burial.  Ike  "Wainscot,  just  a  boy,  but  with  all  the 
manliness  and  kindly  spirit  which  characterized  the 
older  pioneers,  insisted  that  Ira  be  buried  in  his 
Sunday  shirt.  And  Sunday  shirts  were  hard  to  get 
in  those  days.  Father  and  son  were  buried  in  the 
Denver  graveyard.  The  good  people  of  the  commu- 
nity provided  for  the  widow  and  helpless  children. 
They  gave  her  provisions  enough  to  last  a  long  time 
and  cared  for  her  until  she  moved  to  Denton  County, 
where  she  was  in  no  danger  from  the  Indians. 

It  transpired  that  the  Indians  who  did  the  killing 
had  been  raiding  through  Jack  County,  stealing 
horses  from  the  wheat  fields.  A  crowd  of  men  deter- 
mined to  surprise  them,  and  secreted  themselves  in  a 
near  by  wheat  field.  It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night 
and  the  Indians  could  be  plainly  seen  by  the  waiting 
men  as  they  rode  up  bent  on  stealing  their  horses. 
They  opened  fire  on  the  Indians,  wounding  one  and 
possibly  more,  but  they  were  carried  away  by  their 
companions,  who,  seeing  their  disadvantage,  turned 
and  fled  with  the  white  men  in  pursuit.  They  lost 
their  trail  and  the  Indians  crossed  over  into  Mon- 
tague County,  and  on  their  way  stopped  long  enough 
to  murder  Spencer  Moore  and  his  son,  Ira. 


24  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

ATTACK  ON  JIM  BOX  AND  FAMILY  BY  THE 
INDIANS. 

Mr.  Jim  Box,  together  with  his  family,  lived  in 
Montague  County,  at  the  "Head  of  Elm,"  where 
the  town  of  St.  Jo  now  stands.  In  August,  1866, 
he  was  returning  home  from  a  visit  in  East  Texas, 
accompanied  by  his  family,  when  they  were  at- 
tacked by  a  band  of  Indians. 

It  was  the  custom  in  those  days  for  men,  before 
starting  on  a  journey,  to  get  up  on  some  high  place 
and  look  out  over  the  surrounding  country  to  dis- 
cover if  Indians  were  near.  On  this  occasion  Charlie 
Grant,  Bill  Grant,  John  Loving  and  Zeke  Huffman 
rode  up  on  what  was  known  as  "Wheeler's  Mound, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  road,  to  see  if 
the  coast  was  clear.  To  their  horror  they  saw  a  band 
of  Indians  surrounding  the  wagon  in  which  were 
Mr.  Box  and  his  family.  Mrs.  Box,  who  held  her 
baby  in  her  arms,  managed  to  get  out  of  the  wagon 
and,  followed  by  her  three  daughters,  started  to  run, 
They  were  so  badly  frightened  they  scarcely  realized 
what  they  were  doing.  While  the  Indians  were  slay- 
ing Mr.  Box  they  ran  first  from  the  wagon,  then 
back  again  two  or  three  times.  Resistance  was  use- 
less, so  they  were  captured  and  carried  off -by  the 
Indians.  The  men  who  witnessed  the  killing  were 
unable  to  render  any  assistance,  as  they  were  un- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  25 

armed  and  far  outnumbered  by  the  Indians.  To  at- 
tract their  attention  meant  certain  death  to  them. 
They  went  to  the  home  of  Charlie  Grant's  father  for 
arms  and  reinforcements.  They  returned  to  the 
scene  of  the  killing  that  night  to  search  for  the  body 
of  Jim  Box,  accompanied  by  a  man  named  Cherry 
and  a  one-armed  negro  called  Old  Jack  Loring.  Mr. 
Box  had  purchased  a  large  quantity  of  leather,  which 
he  had  with  him.  They  found  the  leather,  together 
with  the  other  contents  of  the  wagon,  scattered  over 
the  prairie.  It  was  a  dark  misty  night,  making  it 
hard  to  distinguish  objects.  The  Indians  had  torn 
open  a  large  feather  bed  and  scattered  the  feathers 
everywhere.  They  clung  to  the  wet  broom  weeds, 
and  were  scattered  over  Mr.  Box's  fallen  body.  The 
men  rode  around  the  wagon  several  times  before 
they  found  him.  He  had  been  scalped.  They  did 
not  remove  the  body  until  the  next  day,  but  rode 
the  rest  of  the  night  getting  up  a  posse  to  follow 
the  Indians.  Jim  Coursey  and  Captain  Brunson  and 
others  followed  them  and  found  the  dead  body  of 
Mrs.  Box's  little  baby.  Mrs.  Box  and  her  three 
daughters  were  held  as  captives  on  the  Canadian 
River  for  some  time.  Friends  intervened  in  their 
behalf  and  they  were  finally  bought  back  by  the 
government  and  returned  to  their  home  in  Mon- 
tague County.  They  were  accompanied  home  by 
Lieutenant  Harmon  and  ,his  company  of  Fort  Sill. 
Mrs.  Box,  who  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Cap- 


26  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

tain  Brunson,  told  the  following  story  of  their  thrill- 
ing experience  with  the  Indians : 

After  killing  her  husband  they  tied  her  on  a  wild 
horse  and  speared  him  to  make  him  plunge.  The 
plunging  of  the  horse  caused  her  to  drop  her  baby. 
The  Indians  picked  the  poor  little  thing  up  and 
killed  it  before  her  eyes,  and  took  the  party  on  across 
Red  River.  There  were  nineteen  Indians  in  the  band. 
They  refused  to  give  Mrs.  Box  water,  although  she 
was  so  thirsty  her  tongue  was  swollen  from  her 
mouth.  One  of  her  daughters  took  off  her  slipper 
and  filled  it  with  water  as  they  crossed  a  stream. 
She  gave  it  to  her  mother.  Her  mother  managed  to 
drink  it  before  the  Indians  could  dash  it  from  her 
lips.  They  took  a  leather  quirt  and  beat  the  daugh- 
ter  almost  to  death  for  this  act  of  kindness  to  her 
heartbroken  mother.  The  Indians  separated  the 
family,  putting  them  in  different  camps.  The  little 
girl,  eight  years  old,  would  cry  and  run  after  the 
other  members  of  the  family  when  she  would  see 
them.  The  Indians  held  her  feet  to  the  fire  until 
they  were  blistered,  so  she  could  not  follow  her 
mother  and  sisters.  It  is  hard  to  realize  that  such 
barbarous  acts  ever  took  place  in  this  county,  but 
all  the  cruelties  the  early  settlers  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  the  Indians  will  never  be  known. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  27 


EXCITING  CHASE  AND  FIGHT  WITH  INDIANS, 

About  this  time  there  were  numerous  small  depre- 
dations by  the  Indians  and  the  settlers  were  in  con- 
stant dread  of  their  coming.  On  a  certain  morning 
in  September,  1866,  another  band  of  Indians  came 
into  Montague  County.  They  passed  the  fort  at 
the  head  of  Elm  and  exchanged  shots  with  the  men 
stationed  there. 

They  went  east  about  four  miles  and  killed  a  man 
named  Jim  Harris.  The  Indians  then  passed  on  in 
the  direction  of  Gainesville,  killing  Andy  Powers,  a 
citizen  of  Montague  County.  Near  there  this  band 
was  joined  by  another  band  of  Indians. 

They  passed  up  the  ridge  between  Clear  Creek  and 
Elm  Creek,  back  into  Montague  County,  with  about 
five  hundred  stolen  horses.  Charlie  Grant,  with  a 
posse  of  forty  men,  followed  them  into  Clay  County 
and  on  to  the  Big  Wichita  River.  The  night  before 
a  band  of  men  had  started  from  Red  River  Station 
in  pursuit  of  this  same  party  of  Indians.  They  had 
crossed  the  Big  "Wichita  River  and  had  a  battle  with 
the  Indians,  there  being  about  twenty-five  white  men 
against  more  than  a  hundred  Indians.  The  white 
men,  when  they  struck  the  Indian  trail,  the  day  be- 
fore, knowing  that  Charlie  Grant  and  his  men  were 
coming  behind,  stuck  a  stick  in  the  ground,  in  a 
place  where  they  would  be  sure  to  find  it,  and  tied  a 


28  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

note  on  it  bearing  these  words:  "Come  on,  boys; 
they  have  passed  this  way."  The  determined  men 
pressed  on,  but  were  soon  confronted  by  different 
orders.  They  found  this  message  tacked  on  a  tree 
on  the  banks  of  the  Big  Wichita  Eiver:  "Turn 
back,  boys;  they  have  given  us  a  warm  reception." 
After  their  battle  with  the  Indians,  the  whites, 
finding  themselves  to  be  far  outnumbered  by  the 
enemy,  decided  to  retreat.  When  the  last  party 
of  white  men  came  to  the  place  where  the  orders 
were  tacked  on  the  tree,  they  followed  the  advice 
and  returned  to  their  homes. 


THE  FATE  OF  ONE  INDIAN. 

After  the  killing  of  Tom  Fitzpatrick  and  his  wife, 
and  the  capture  of  their  two  little  daughters  by  the 
Indians,  the  father  of  Tom  Fitzpatrick  continued  to 
live  at  the  old  home  place  alone.  He  was  very  deaf. 
One  night  a  band  of  Indians  surrounded  the  house. 
They  fired  quite  a  number  of  shots  into  the  house, 
as  was  discovered  next  day,  before  they  succeeded 
in  arousing  the  old  man,  who  was  sound  asleep. 
When  he  awoke  and  finally  decided  that  the  Indians 
were  attacking  the  house  he  began  firing  at  them. 
This  frightened  the  Indians  and  they  turned  to  run. 
In  their  path  was  an  old  abandoned  well,  about  forty 
yards  from  the  house.  One  of  the  Indians  rode  into 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  29 

the  well.  His  horse  plunging  head  foremost  into  the 
well,  carried  his  unfortunate  rider  with  him.  Some 
of  the  neighbors  came  next  day  and  succeeded  in 
getting  the  Indian  out.  The  fall  had  killed  him. 
The  horse  was  left  in  the  well.  This  farm  is  north 
of  Forrestburg  two  miles  and  is  now  known  as  the 
Ben  Steadham  place. 


DEATH  OP  TWO  YOUNG  BOYS. 

In  1867  there  was  a  little  settlement  on  Sandy 
composed  of  Moses  Ball,  C.  B.  Ball,  Archie  McDon- 
ald, James  Green  and  Chesley  Marlett.  It  was  near 
this  settlement  that  the  Indians  killed  Brake  Green 
and  Billy  Bailey,  two  boys  of  the  settlement.  The 
two  boys  went  off  together  one  Sunday  morning, 
in  the  fall  of  1867,  to  hunt  for  a  pony  that  had 
strayed  away.  They  expected  to  find  him  on  Sandy 
Creek  somewhere,  so  went  in  that  direction.  They 
were  only  about  eighteen  years  old,  and  we  can 
imagine  them  talking  with  each  other  of  when  fishing 
is  good,  where  the  best  pecans  and  wild  grapes  grow ; 
where  to  find  the  wild  turkeys  and  the  squirrels; 
occasionally  casting  furtive  glances  into  the  woods 
as  they  discuss  in  lower  tones  the  probability  of  In- 
dians being  near-by.  When  about  one-half  mile 
from  Mr.  Green's  house,  suddenly  right  at  them  ap- 
peared a  band  of  eleven  Indians. 


30  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Shortly  after  this  Archie  McDonald  was  passing 
near  there  and  found  a  small  looking  glass,  squirrel 
skins  and  some  red  paint,  and  he  knew  the  Indians 
were  in  the  country.  He  did  not  know  that  the 
band  had  met  the  two  boys.  He  turned  back  toward 
home  and  on  to  Mr.  Ball's,  where  he  reported  what 
he  had  found. 

Mr.  C.  B.  Ball  and  Mr.  J.  Marlett,  feeling  certain 
that  the  boys  had  been  overtaken  by  the  Indians, 
started  out  to  search  for  them.  Sure  enough,  when 
the  men  reached  Sandy  Creek  they  found  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  two  boys.  They  had  been  horribly 
butchered.  Appearances  indicated  that  when  the 
Indians  surprised  them  both  boys  started  to  run. 
Young  Green  had  run  into  the  bed  of  the  creek  and 
was  shot  on  the  south  bank,  after  he  had  crossed 
over.  He  was  shot  with  three  arrows.  Two  lodged 
in  his  breast  and  one  in  his  back.  When  the  two 
men  found  him  his  face  was  in  the  water.  His  pock- 
ets were  turned  wrong  side  out,  and  any  money  or 
valuables  he  might  have  had  were  taken.  He  was 
not  scalped.  Young  Bailey  was  wounded  before 
he  got  to  the  creek.  He  had  stumbled  along  for 
about  fifty  yards,  trying  to  get  out  of  the  way  of 
the  Indians.  Indications  showed  that  he  had  been 
cruelly  tormented  after  they  had  scalped  him.  A 
wound  in  his  arm  seemed  to  have  been  made  by  a 
lance  that  had  been  thrust  entirely  through  it.  The 
Indians  had  shot  him  nineteen  times.  Mr.  Ball  and 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  31 

Mr.  Marlett  were  not  sure  that  the  Indians  were 
not  watching  them  when  they  found  the  bodies  of 
the  boys,  but  they  tried  to  appear  calm  and  indiffer- 
ent. The  sun  was  setting  as  they  found  them.  It 
was  impossible  for  the  two  men  to  carry  the  bodies 
home  alone,  and  there  was  so  much  danger  of  being 
fired  on  from  ambush  by  the  Indians  that  they  were 
forced  to  leave  the  bodies  there  until  morning.  The 
next  morning  kind  hands  bore  them  tenderly  to 
their  heartbroken  parents.  The  coffins  were  made 
for  them  out  of  planks  or  boards,  or  anything  they 
could  use — material  was  so  scarce  and  so  far  away. 
Both  boys  were  buried  in  the  same  grave.  They 
were  the  first  people  ever  buried  in  the . ' '  Selma 
Graveyard/7  which  is  only  a  few  miles  from  Bowie. 
We  are  thankful  that  such  days  of  anxiety  and 
danger  are  over,  and  that  the  dreadful  Indians  will 
never  trouble  Montague  County  again.  I  have  no 
doubt  but  what  many  of  our  boys  have  gathered 
pecans  and  walnuts  and  hunted  squirrels  near  the 
same  spot  where  these  two  boys  met  the  band  of 
Indians. 

INDIANS  KILL  NATHAN  LONG  AND  CAPTURE 
MISS  PARALEE  CARLTON. 

In  the  fall  of  1867  Nathan  Long  moved  to  what 
is  known  to  old  settlers  as  the  " Chunky'7  Joe  Wil- 
son place,  located  four  miles  east  of  Forrestburg. 


32  •  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

On  January  5,  following,  known  as  Old  Christmas, 
the  Indians  made  a  raid  into  Montague  County. 
They  committed  a  series  of  crimes  that  day  and 
that  night.  The  first  was  the  killing  of  John  Leather- 
wood.  He  was  on  his  way  home.  When  he  reached 
Clear  Creek  he  was  killed  by  the  Indians.  After 
scalping  him  they  left  him  there  and  went  on  down 
the  creek  to  Nathan  Long's  place.  On  the  way  there 
they  burned  Charles  McCracken's  house  to  the 
ground.  Passing  on  to  the  home  of  Wash  and  Alf 
Williams'  they  went  through  the  house,  robbing  it 
of  such  things  as  they  wanted.  It  was  afterwards 
thought  their  reason  for  burning  the  McCracken 
home  was  because  they  found  an  Indian's  scalp 
hanging  in  the  house — a  sight  which  always  incited 
them  to  great  fury.  Their  next  move  was  to  go 
to  the  Carlton  home,  situated  in  the  Clear  Creel?: 
Valley.  Here  they  captured  Miss  Paralee  Carlton, 
taking  her  with  them. 

Miss  Carlton  had  an  exciting  experience.  The 
Indians  had  a  fight  with  the  whites  the  night  of  the 
day  she  was  captured.  In  the  confusion  following 
the  flight  of  the  Indians  she  managed  to  slip  from 
her  horse  unnoticed  by  them.  She  laid  down  in 
the  tall  grass  and  remained  in  hiding  until  they  were 
far  on  their  way.  The  Indians  drove  the  horses  on, 
thinking  she  was  along.  Miss  Carlton  had  walked 
about  a  mile,  when  she  came  to  the  home  of  Dr. 
Davidson,  where  she  found  refuge  until  she  could 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  33 

be  conducted  to  her  home.  Miss  Carlton's  nieces 
are  teachers  in  the  public  schools  of  this  county 
now. 

The  Indians  next  went  to  the  home  of  Austin 
Ferryman.  They  surrounded  the  house  and  pre- 
pared for  an  attack.  At  this  point  Mr.  Ferryman 
and  his  wife  made  a  strategic  move.  Mrs.  Ferryman 
donned  men's  clothing,  and  thus  attired  assisted 
her  husband  in  frightening  them  away.  The  Indians 
were  in  deadly  terror  of  a  gun  in  the  hands  of  a 
white  man,  and  they  liked  to  know  that  they  had 
the  advantage  before  inviting  an  attack.  By  these 
maneuvers  Mr.  Ferryman  and  his  wife  succeeded  in 
causing  the  Indians  to  think  there  was  a  number 
of  men  in  the  house,  so  they  departed  without  doing 
any  harm. 

The  Indians  were  now  going  in  the  direction  of 
Nathan  Long's  home.  Mr.  Long  had  been  away  from 
home  on  business.  On  this  day  he  was  returning 
home  when  overtaken  by  the  Indians.  He  was  un- 
armed, so  could  make  no  resistance.  He  made  a 
desperate  effort  to  escape  by  running  his  horse  at 
full  speed,  hoping  to  reach  home  and  protect  him- 
self and  family.  The  Indians,  divining  his  purpose, 
circled  about  him  and  cut  off  his  approach  to  the 
house.  They  killed  and  scalped  him.  He  was  found 
by  the  neighbors  next  day  and  buried  at  the  Elm 
Creek  graveyard. 

It  was  the  custom  among  the  settlers,  when  they 


34  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

learned  of  the  presence  of  Indians  in  the  country, 
to  send  an  "Indian  runner"  to  warn  the  people. 
This  was  some  brave  white  man,  and  it  was  not  un- 
usual for  the  settlers  to  hear  these  words  as  the 
runner  paused  for  an  instant  on  his  fleetfooted 
horse :  ' '  Get  your  firearms  and  ammunition  ready — 
the  Indians  are  coming  down  the  creek,  killing  and 
burning  as  they  come."  On  he  went,  like  the  wind, 
to  warn  others.  On  the  above  occasion  George  Ma- 
son was  warning  the  people,  reaching  the  Long 
home  just  ahead  of  the  Indians.  Had  he  not  done 
so,  Mrs.  Long  and  her  children  would  have  been 
killed  or  captured.  She,  together  with  her  son  and 
daughter,  fled  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Wilbur,  about 
one-half  mile  .away,  and  escaped.  The  Indians  vis- 
ited their  home  and  finding  no  one  about,  proceeded 
to  a  rent  house  on  the  same  farm  occupied  by 
Chunky  Joe  Wilson  and  his  children.  Mrs.  Long,  in 
her  flight  with  her  own  children,  took  time  to  go 
by  and  get  the  Wilson  children  and  brought  them 
with  her.  Had  it  not  been  for  this,  they  would  have 
been  killed  or  captured.  Finding  no  one  at  home 
here,  the  Indians  contented  themselevs  with  setting 
fire  to  the  house  and  passed  on,  on  their  mission 
of  slaughter  and  destruction.  Miss  Alice  Wilson, 
the  eldest  daughter,  had  gone  to  church  at  Forrest- 
burg  that  day  and  returned  shortly  after  the  Indians 
left  to  find  her  home  in  ashes. 

On  the  same  raid  recounted  above  this  same  band 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  35 

of  Indians  crossed  into  Cooke  County,  about  two 
miles  from  the  Montague  County  line.  It  was  a 
clear,  bright  morning,  such  as  nature  often  permits 
her  Texas  children  to  enjoy,  even  in  the  month  of 
January.  On  this  particular  morning  Mrs.  Shegog, 
whose  home  was  on  Clear  Creek,  in  the  Boston 
neighborhood,  was  at  home  alone,  with  the  exception 
of  her  baby,  the  two  Menasco  children  and  a  little 
negro  boy.  We  can  imagine  the  children  at  play  in 
the  sunshine,  while  the  good  housewife,  with  a 
smile  in  her  eye  and  snatches  of  song  on  her  lips, 
is  attending  to  her  simple  household  duties.  The 
baby  laughs  and  crows,  as  only  a  dear  little  baby 
can.  Everything  looks  peaceful  and  serene.  Sud- 
denly, without  warning,  the  fiendish  savages,  with 
their  dreaded  war  whoop,  attack  this  lonely  fron- 
tier home.  They  killed  Mrs.  Shegog  ?s  poor  little 
baby  in  the  most  brutal  manner  in  spite  of  the  en- 
treaties of  the  grief -stricken,  terror-stricken  mother. 
They  then  took  Mrs.  Shegog,  the  two  Menasco  chil- 
dren and  the  negro  boy  captive,  and  again  started 
on  their  way.  Mr.  Menasco,  Mrs.  Shegog 's  father, 
had  heard  of  the  coming  of  the  Indians,  and  was  on 
his  way  to  protect  his  daughter  and  grandchildren, 
when  he,  too,  was  killed  by  this  same  band. 

As  has  been  said  before,  it  was  a  nice  warm  day, 
but  with  the  sudden  change  peculiar  to  our  Texas 
climate,  it  became  bitterly  cold  toward  night,  and  by 
midnight  one  of  the  worst  blizzards  known  to  this 


36  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

section  was  raging.  It  began  sleeting  and  snowing, 
and  the  wind  swept  with  terrific  force  across  the 
bleak,  open  prairie. 

The  Indians  were  now  traveling  in  the  direction 
of  Gainesville,  in  Cooke  County.  The  Indians  them- 
selves were  beginning  to  suffer  from  the  cold.  When 
within  one  mile  of  Gainesville,  thinking  Mrs.  Shegog 
was  frozen  to  death,  the  Indians  threw  her  off  on 
the  ground  and  left  her,  as  they  supposed,  dead.  A 
large  buffalo  robe  fell  with  her,  and  in  this  the  poor, 
half  frozen  woman  managed  to  wrap  herself  and 
laid  on  the  bleak,  open  prairie  until  morning.  At 
dawn  she  heard  the  chickens  crowing,  and  made  her 
way  to  the  sound.  It  proved  to  be  the  home  of  Sam 
Dause.  They  gladly  gave  her  food  and  shelter  until 
an  opportunity  presented  itself  for  her  to  return 
home.  She  did  not  know  the  fate  of  the  children 
who  were  captured  with  her.  It  being  night,  and 
she,  half  unconscious  from  exposure  to  the  bitter 
cold,  did  not  see  the  Indians  when  they  threw  the 
little  bodies  on  the  prairie.  They  had  frozen  to 
death.  Their  fate  was  left  to  conjecture,  until  the 
following  spring,  when  a  party  of  cowboys,  among 
them  Mr.  Charlie  Grant,  of  near  Forrestburg,  dis- 
covered the  remains  of  the  children  on  the  prairie. 

The  next  morning  after  the  capture  and  escape 
of  Mrs.  Shegog,  the  Indians  again  crossed  over  into 
Montague  County.  When  about  two  miles  from 
Forrestburg  they  killed  four  persons  and  captured 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  37 

two.  Tom  Fitzpatrick  and  his  wife,  Alice,  were 
living  near  Forrestburg,  on  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Ben  Steadham  place.  They  had  two  little  girls 
and  a  baby  boy.  A  runner,  who  had  heard  of  the 
presence  of  this  band  of  Indians  in  the  country,  went 
to  warn  the  Fitzpatrick  family  of  their  danger.  Mr. 
Fitzpatrick  took  his  family  and  started  at  once  for 
the  home  of  Arthur  Parkhill,  a  neighbor  of  theirs. 
He  placed  his  wife  and  children  on  a  horse,  while 
he  walked  by  their  side.  Arthur  Parkhill,  when 
he  heard  the  Indians  were  coming,  hurried  to  tell 
the  Fitzpatricks  about  it  that  they  might  come  to 
his  home,  where  they  could  all  be  together  for  bet- 
ter protection  from  the  Indians.  He  met  them  on 
the  way  and  was  returning  with  them  when  the 
little  party  of  friends  was  surprised  by  the  Indians. 
The  Indians  killed  and  scalped  Mr.  Parkhill  and 
Mr.  Fitzpatrick  on  the  spot.  This  left  the  half 
distracted  mother  entirely  unprotected  and  with 
three  children  on  the  horse  with  her.  With  all  a 
mother's  love  she  clung  desperately  to  her  little 
ones,  and  urged  the  horse  forward  with  all  of  her 
might.  The  Indians  were  riding  good  horses  and 
followed  close  behind  her.  "On,  on,  good  horse/' 
she  cries.  She  reaches  the  gate  of  the  picketed  en- 
closure surrounding  the  Parkhill  home.  She  takes 
fresh  courage — safety  lies  so  near.  But,  alas !  before 
she  could  dismount  and  get  inside  the  enclosure  the 
Indians  caught  her.  They  killed  and  scalped  her, 


38  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

killed  the  little  baby  and  captured  the  two  little 
girls.  Nothing  was  learned  of  the  fate  of  the  two 
little  girls  for  a  long  time.  Finally  they  were  found 
among  the  Indians  of  "Western  Kansas.  Mr.  Bud 
Morris  of  Montague  assisted  in  the  identification 
of  the  children.  He  had  a  lengthy  correspondence 
with  Colonel  Leavenworth  in  regard  to  the  matter. 
In  the  end  Congress  appropriated  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars for  their  education  and  maintenance.  Thus 
ended  one  of  the  bloodiest,  most  disastrous  raids 
ever  made  in  Montague  County.  The  Indians  passed 
out  of  the  county,  crossing  Bed  River  into  the  In- 
dian Territory. 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  McELROY  CHILDREN. 

In  the  summer  of  1868,  Mr.  Levi  Ferryman,  a 
pioneer  citizen  and  former  sheriff  of  this  county, 
was  living  with  his  family  on  what  was  known  as  the 
Foster  Morris  place.  In  June  Mr.  Ferryman  had 
been  away  on  an  eight-day  cow  hunt  and  barely 
escaped  coming  in  contact  with  a  band  of  Indians  on 
his  return  home.  There  had  been  a  light  shower  of 
rain  the  day  of  his  return,  and  when  he  arrived 
home  his  wife  told  him  that  the  rain  had  blown 
down  his  oats.  He  walked  out  to  see  what  damage 
had  been  done,  and  while  out  there  he  saw  his  wife 
walk  across  the  gallery  with  a  gun  and  a  pistol  in 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  39 

her  hands.  The  dogs  were  barking  furiously,  and  he 
thought  that  Indians  might  be  near  the  house.  As 
he  was  hastening  toward  the  house  he  was  met  by 
a  little  negro  boy,  who  was  frightened  almost  to 
death.  His  eyes  were  rolling  as  he  said,  "Massa 
Levi,  Miss  Josie  said  the  Indians  were  killing  Mr. 
McElroy 's  folks.  Can't  you  hear  them  screaming?" 

He  hurried  on  to  where  his  wife  stood  and  asked 
her  what  was  the  matter.  She  replied,  "The  Indians 
are  killing  Mr.  MeElroy's  folks.  Can't  you  hear 
them  screaming?" 

Mr.  Ferryman  ordered  the  negro  to  bring  him  a 
fresh  horse.  His  wife  asked  him  what  he  was  going 
to  do.  When  he  told  her  he  was  going  to  the  as- 
sistance of  their  neighbors  she  began  to  cry,  fear- 
ing he  would  be  killed  by  the  Indians.  But  he  went, 
anyway.  He  was  riding  a  splendid  horse,  and  soon 
reached  the  McElroy  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McElroy 
were  in  the  front  yard,  screaming,  "Oh,  the  Indians 
have  stolen  my  children ;  my  little  children  are  gone, 
and  we  will  never  see  them  again. ' '  Their  grief  was 
terrible.  Mr.  Ferryman  asked  which  way  the  In- 
dians went.  They  pointed  out  the  way,  and  he  was 
gone  like  a  bird  on  the  wing.  The  Indians  had  gone 
north,  to  where  the  ' '  Stony  Point ' '  school  house  now 
stands.  When  Mr.  Ferryman  reached  this  place  he 
caught  sight  of  the  Indians  in  the  distance.  The 
children  saw  Mr.  Ferryman  and  recognized  him. 
The  children  said  afterwards  that  when  they  saw  Mr. 


40  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Ferryman  they  felt  that  they  would  be  saved.  But 
Mr.  Ferryman  took  the  wrong  trail  and  failed  to 
rescue  them.  Instead,  he  followed  the  trail  the  In- 
dians had  made  that  morning.  When  he  discov- 
ered his  mistake  it  was  too  late  to  follow  them 
further;  so  he  decided  to  go  on  down  Willa  Walla 
Valley,  and  warn  the  people  that  the  Indians  were 
in  the  country. 

The  McElroy  children  were  out  gathering  dew- 
berries with  a  grown-up  young  man  by  the  name  of 
John  Lackey,  when  they  were  attacked  by  the  In- 
dians. 

They  killed  the  man  and  captured  the  children. 
The  father  and  mother,  hearing  the  screams,  ran  out 
only  to  see  the  Indians  disappearing  in  the  distance 
with  their  two  children,  Nat  and  Dora  Ellen.  The 
Indians  held  the  children  captive  on  their  reserva- 
tion for  quite  a  while.  Their  parents,  who  were 
making  every  effort  to  find  them,  finally  learned  of 
their  whereabouts  and  bought  them  back  through 
the  government. 

INDIANS  CHARGE  ON  MR.  JACKSON'S  HOME 
ON  DENTON  CREEK. 

In  the  fall  of  1868  the  families  of  Mr.  Jackson  and 
Rile  Willingham  were  living  together  for  protection 
from  the  Indians.  About  4  o'clock  one  afternoon 
the  two  men,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Jackson's  little 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  41 

boy,  went  to  the  well,  which  was  some  distance  from 
the  house.  To  please  the  little  fellow  they  allowed 
him  to  ride  the  horse,  which  they  were  taking  with 
them  to  water.  Hearing  a  noise  they  looked  up  to 
see  a  band  of  Indians  approaching  the  house.  The 
Indians  had  a,  large  number  of  horses  with  them, 
which  was  afterwards  learned  they  had  stolen  in 
Denton  County.  There  was  no  time  to  waste  in  dis- 
cussing the  situation  if  the  men  were  to  reach  the 
house  in  time  to  protect  their  wives  and  children 
from  being  killed  or  captured  by  the  Indians.  They 
told  the  little  boy  to  run  the  horse  as  fast  as  he 
could  make  him  go,  telling  him  if  he  hurried  he 
could  reach  the  house  before  the  Indians  and  be 
saved.  The  two  men,  by  cutting  through  a  near 
way,  reached  the  house  first.  Mr.  Jackson  saw  an 
Indian  aim  at  his  little  son  as  he  came  up  on  the 
horse.  The  frightened  child  was  saved  in  an  almost 
miraculous  manner.  He  was  running  the  horse  with 
such  speed  that  when  he  reached  the  fence  sur- 
rounding the  yard,  the  sudden  stop  threw  the  child 
over  the  horse's  head  into  the  yard.  He  ran  into 
the  house  and  was  saved.  The  men  hurriedly  closed 
up  both  houses.  Mr.  Jackson  had  his  family  to  get 
under  the  puncheon  floor.  He  remained  above,  tell- 
ing them  if  he  was  killed  for  them  to  stay  under 
the  floor  and  not  to  come  out  until  every  noise  had 
ceased.  He  thought  in  that  way  they  might  be 
saved,  provided  the  Indians  did  not  burn  the  house. 


42  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

From  some  cause  the  Indians  decided  not  to  molest 
the  houses  or  their  inmates,  but  contented  them- 
selves by  taking  all  their  horses,  killing  their  hogs, 
shooting  their  cattle  and  burning  their  wheat  and 
oat  stacks.  After  they  had  destroyed  nearly  every- 
thing of  any  value  in  sight  they  fired  a  few  shots 
and  went  on  their  way  with  the  stolen  horses. 


INDIANS  SLAY  LIEUTENANT  VAN  ROBERTS. 

There  is  no  prettier  spot  in  the  whole  of  Montague 
County  than  where  the  town  of  Forrestburg  stands. 
The  soil  is  of  a  white  waxy  nature,  and  the  roads  in 
and  about  the  town  are  perfect.  Groups  of  live  oak 
dotted  here  and  there  lend  an  air  of  beauty  to  the 
little  town,  and  are  especially  beautiful  in  winter 
when  the  snow  falls  upon  them,  for  they  are  ever- 
green in  nature  and  remain  green  throughout  the 
year.  Near  the  edge  of  the  town  a  little  stream 
winds  in  and  out  and  many  picturesque  spots  are 
to  be  found  near  by.  The  wild  grape  vine  flour- 
ishes here,  the  dogwood  and  wild  plum  blossoms 
are  to  be  found  along  its  banks  in  the  springtime. 
There  is  one  place  in  Forrestburg  that  is  noted  the 
country  over;  that  is  the  Moore  Hotel.  Traveling 
men  drive  miles  after  dark  to  reach  it,  when  they 
could  easily  find  stopping  places  on  the  way.  Law- 
yers, doctors,  merchants  and  the  public  in  general 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  43 

have  enjoyed  the  hospitality  and  good  cheer  which 
pervades  this  splendid  home. 

If  you  ever  have  the  good  fortune  to  spend  a  few 
days  in  this  quiet  little  town  it  will  be  hard  for  you 
to  realize  that  it  was  once  the  center  of  war  activi- 
ties and  Indian  depredations.  One  Sunday  in  the 
fall  of  1867  old  Brother  Descent,  as  he  was  famil- 
iarly called,  was  holding  services  at  Forrestburg. 
Preaching  services  were  few  and  far  between,  and 
the  people  were  glad  to  attend  them.  A  company  of 
rangers  stationed  near  Forrestburg,  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  the  opportunity  to  listen  to  the  preach- 
ing of  the  "Word  of  God.  They  had  just  returned 
from  church,  and  were  unsaddling  their  horses, 
when  some  men  came  up  and  announced  that  a  band 
of  Indians  had  just  captured  the  company's  horses. 
Alec  Frasier,  who  was  described  as  being  a  remark- 
ably handsome  young  fellow,  jumped  on  his  horse, 
without  a  saddle,  and  with  gun  in  hand  rushed  out 
to  where  the  Indians  were  and  succeeded  in  getting 
all  of  the  horses  away  from  them  except  two  of  the 
finest  ones.  These  the  Indians  were  determined  to 
keep.  Young  Frasier  was  riding  a  magnificent  black 
horse.  While  he  was  rounding  in  the  horses,  Lieu- 
tenant Van  Roberts  ordered  the  rest  of  the  company 
to  resaddle  their  horses  and  start  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians.  They  followed  the  Indians  to  (what  is 
now)  the  business  part  of  Forrestburg.  At  that 
time  dense  groups  of  live  oaks  were  growing  here 


44  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

* 
and  there  in  the  street,  making  an  excellent  place 

from  which  to  fight.  The  rangers  caught  up  with 
the  Indians  at  this  point.  When  overtaken  the  In- 
dians dismounted  and  got  ready  for  battle ;  this  was 
something  very  unusual  for  them,  for  an  Indian 
always  preferred  to  remain  on  his  horse  when  fight- 
ing. 

Lieutenant  Koberts  ordered  his  men  to  dismount, 
too.  When  the  lieutenant  and  young  Frasier  dis- 
mounted the  other  rangers  ran  and  left  them.  Sev- 
eral of  the  men  were  shot  in  the  back  by  the  In- 
dians and  afterwards  died.  The  lieutenant  said  to 
his  men:  "For  heaven's  sake,  boys,  don't  leave  us 
like  this."  But  they  went  on,  anyway.  This  left 
Frasier  and  Roberts  to  battle  with  the  Indians  alone. 
They  fought  until  their  ammunition  was  exhausted. 
When  they  saw  they  could  do  no  more,  the  lieu- 
tenant said:  "Alec,  we  must  get  away  from  here." 
At  the  words  Alec  jumped  on  his  powerful  black 
horse,  while  Lieutenant  Roberts  attempted  to  mount 
his.  The  horse  was  a  high  spirited  blue  roan.  He 
was  already  excited  from  hearing  so  many  shots 
fired,  and  to  add  to  his  excitement  an  Indian  kept 
waving  a  blanket  in  his  face  to  frighten  him.  Every 
time  the  lieutenant  would  try  to  mount  the  Indian 
would  wave  the  blanket,  while  another  Indian  would 
shoot  him  with  an  arrow.  He  tried  to  mount  again 
and  again.  The  last  time  he  tried  to  get  on,  his 
horse  jerked  loose  and  ran  off,  leaving  him  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  45 

ground.  An  Indian  tried  to  jump  on  him,  but  he 
quickly  got  up,  and  with  Bowie  knife  in  hand  ran 
the  Indian  until  he  fell.  He  arose  and  ran  him  three 
times,  flourishing  his  Bowie  knife  as  he  ran.  The 
last  time  he  fell  he  was  so  weak  from  the  loss  of 
blood  he  couldn't  get  up,  and  the  Indian  scalped  him 
alive.  When  an  Indian  scalped  a  white  man  who 
had  exhibited  great  signs  of  bravery  he  only  scalped 
a  spot  on  the  top  of  his  head  about  the  size  of  a 
dollar.  Lieutenant  Roberts  was  scalped  in  this  way. 
This  was  evidence  that  the  Indians  regarded  him 
as  a  brave  man.  Frasier  ran  for  "Hegler's  Store," 
which  at  this  time  was  vacant.  He  took  refuge  here, 
expecting  every  moment  that  the  Indians  would 
surround  him.  They  shot  his  hat  off  as  he  ran,  and 
the  next  day  the  boys  picked  up  eighteen  arrows 
that  the  Indians  had  shot  at  him,  none  of  them  tak- 
ing effect.  After  waiting  for  some  time  for  the  lieu- 
tenant to  come  he  ventured  forth  with  the  hope  of 
assisting  him  in  some  way.  A  strange  quietness 
was  all  about.  The  sound  of  battle  had  ceased  and 
the  Indians  had  fled.  Going  to  the  spot  he  found  his 
friend  lying  face  downward — dead — his  blood  stain- 
ing the  grass  on  which  he  lay.  Every  opportunity 
after  this  his  men  would  gather  at  this  spot  to  pay  a 
silent  tribute  to  his  bravery.  For  had  it  not  been 
for  the  bravery  of  the  two  men  the  settlement  might 
have  suffered  heavily  at  the  hands  of  the  Indian 
band.  Today  he  is  sleeping  in  the  graveyard  near 


46  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

John  McGee's.  Often  have  the  children  been  told 
of  the  bravery  of  Lieutenant  Roberts  and  Alec  Fra- 
sier. 

The  father  of  Lieutenant  Eoberts  lived  near  Rob- 
erts' Spring,  just  a  few  miles  from  where  the  lieu- 
tenant was  slain.  The  Indians,  after  killing  him, 
went  to  this  spring.  Just  before  they  reached  there 
the  three  younger  brothers  of  the  lieutenant  had 
been  sent  there  to  get  water  for  the  family  use. 
They  had  an  old  five-gallon  churn  in  which  to  get 
the  water.  They  had  dipped  it  nearly  half  full  when 
the  band  of  Indians  surprised  them.  The  boys  ran 
as  fast  as  possible,  reaching  home  in  a  few  minutes. 
In  his  excitement  and  fright,  Rufus,  the  youngest 
boy,  held  on  to  the  churn,  carrying  it  with  him  in 
his  flight.  "When  they  reached  the  house  all  three 
of  the  boys  tried  to  talk  at  once.  Rufus  was  still 
holding  tight  to  the  churn.  His  mother  kept  saying, 
"  Rufus,  put  down  that  churn. "  But  the  boy  was  so 
badly  frightened  he  just  kept  walking  up  and  down 
the  room,  all  the  time  holding  the  churn  half  filled 
with  water,  and  saying,  "I  tell  you  we  saw  the  In- 
dians, mother;  they  like  to  have  caught  us,  too.  I 
tell  you  they  did."  At  last  they  had  to  take  the 
churn  away  from  him  by  main  force.  His  older 
brothers  teased  him  about  it  a  great  deal  afterwards, 
but  he  declared  he  was  so  badly  frightened  he  didn't 
realize  that  he  was  holding  the  churn.  Mr.  Roberts 
and  his  son,  George,  took  their  guns  and  hurried  to 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  47 

the  spring  and  found  the  Indians  were  still  there. 
Mr.  Roberts  shot  one  of  the  Indians,  but  as  he  was 
tied  to  his  horse  he  did  not  fall  off.  This  frightened 
the  other  Indians,  and  they  fled,  taking  the  wounded 
Indian  with  them.  Soon  after  they  returned  to  the 
house  Captain  Toddy  and  a  company  of  rangers 
dashed  up  to  the  gate.  The  captain  told  Mr.  Rob- 
erts that  he  had  sad  news  for  him ;  that  the  Indians 
had  slain  his  son  that  day. 

This  was  indeed  sad  news  for  the  father  and 
mother.  The  company  of  rangers  pursued  the .  In- 
dians until  they  lost  their  trail,  returning  to  quar- 
ters at  Camp  Brushy,  two  miles  east  of  Forrest  burg. 


ANOTHER  INDIAN  RAID. 

The  month  of  March,  1867,  is  said  by  old  settlers 
to  have  been  one  of  the  coldest  periods  ever  known 
in  this  country.  The  "blue  northers "  for  which 
this  portion  of  Texas  is  noted,  raged  with  unceasing 
fury,  and  thousands  of  cattle  perished.  The  snow 
remained  on  the  ground  for  more  than  twenty  days. 
About  the  twenty-first  of  March,  in  this  same  year, 
a  small  band  of  Indians  came  into  the  county  on 
foot.  Their  first  act  was  to  go  to  the  home  of  Mr. 
Jimmy  "Waller,  on  Dye  Creek.  It  was  night  when 
they  reached  there.  Mr.  Waller  ran  a  sorghum 
mill  and  made  molasses  on  shares  for  the  entire 


48  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

neighborhood.  His  mill  was  near  the  bank  of  Dye 
Creek,  so  that  he  could  obtain  plenty  of  water.  It 
happened  at  this  time  that  he  had  on  hand  several 
barrels  of  molasses.  The  Indians  were  afraid  to  at- 
tack the  house,  and  contented  themselves  with  pull- 
ing the  stoppers  out  of  the  barrels  that  held  the 
sorghum,  letting  the  contents  run  into  the  creek. 
It  was  jokingly  said  that  Dye. Creek  ran  with  sor- 
ghum for  a  week  afterwards. 

The  Indians  then  went  on  down  Clear  Creek  to 
the  home  of  John  Carter,  where  they  stole  two 
horses  from  the  stable,  rounded  up  a  bunch  of 
prairie  horses,  mounted  them  and  rode  north  across 
Elm  Creek.  On  this  same  day  Dan  Brunson  and 
John  Short  had  started  to  Gainesville  to  mill,  in  a 
wagon  drawn  by  slow  moving  oxen.  Now,  going  to 
mill  was  no  small  matter  in  those  days.  The  only 
mill  in  the  country  was  an  old-fashioned  tread 
wheel  mill,  run  by  oxen.  Besides  the  danger  of 
being  attacked  by  the  Indians  going  and  coming, 
they  were  likely  to  be  detained  there  a  week  before 
their  turn  at  the  mill  would  come,  as  it  was  run 
on  the  plan  of  " first  come,  first  served."  The  men 
had  to  take  bedding  and  provisions  with  them  when 
they  went,  not  knowing  how  long  they  would  have 
to  wait. 

Mr.  Brunson  and  Mr.  Short  had  not  journeyed  far 
until  they  were  overtaken  by  the  mail  carrier.  This 
"mail  rider,"  as  he  was  commonly  called,  was  just 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  49 

a  mere  boy,  but  he  carried  the  mail  to  and  from 
Montague  to  Gainesville,  across  the  bleak,  open 
prairie,  a  courageous  thing  for  a  boy  to  do  in  those 
dangerous  Indian  times.  In  those  days  the  majority 
of  the  people  thought  they  were  doing  extremely 
well  if  they  received  mail  every  two  or  three  weeks. 
What  a  contrast  with  today,  for  now  the  rural  mail 
carrier  passes  their  homes  each  day,  except  Sunday, 
to  distribute  the  letters,  magazines,  papers  and 
packages,  and  if  anything  happens  that  he  cannot 
come,  which  seldom  is  the  case,  the  people  along 
his  route  are  very  much  disappointed. 

Let  us  return  to  our  story.  The  three  men  were 
traveling  slowly  along  when  they  were  overtaken 
by  Captain  Brunson,  the  father  of  Dan  Brunson. 
He  had  heard  of  the  presence  of  the  band  of  Indians 
in  the  country  and  feared  they  would  come  upon  the 
men  unawares.  So  he  had  come  to  warn  them  of 
the  possible  danger.  They  stopped  and  Dan  Brun- 
son borrowed  the  mail  carrier's  horse  and  went  back 
to  the  head  of  Elm  to  get  weapons  with  which  to 
defend  themselves  in  the  event  of  their  meeting  the 
Indians.  He  rode  like  the  wind,  and  when  he  had 
almost  reached  the  wagon,  on  his  return,  he  saw 
what  he  supposed  to  be  the  men  he  had  left  there, 
but  instead  he  rode  right  into  a  band  of  Indians, 
who  had  surrounded  the  wagons.  He  called  to  the 
men.  They  had  run  into  the  brush  at  the  approach 


50  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

of  the  Indians,  and  could  hear  him  calling,  but  were 
afraid  to  answer  him. 

Mr.  Brunson  wheeled  his  horse  about  and  rode 
back  with  all  speed  to  the  head  of  Elm.  To  his 
great  surprise  the  Indians  did  not  offer  to  follow 
him,  although  they  saw  him  plainly.  Instead,  the 
Indians  poured  out  all  their  corn  and  wheat  and 
took  their  bedding,  sacks  and  provisions.  Mr.  Brun- 
son succeeded  in  getting  up  a  party  of  men  to  as- 
sist in  fighting  the  Indians.  When  they  returned  to 
the  wagon,  to  their  surprise,  they  met  another  party 
of  men  from  Clear  Creek,  who  were  on  the  trail  of 
the  Indians.  The  Indians  were  now  in  sight,  going 
north  towards  Red  River.  Mr.  Charley  Grant  and 
others  followed  them  to  the  brakes  of  Red  River. 
One  of  the  Indians  went  up  on  a  mound  to  spy  upon 
the  movements  of  the  white  men.  He  saw  some  of 
the  men  turn  back,  but  failed  to  see  the  others  com- 
ing on,  so  after  he  reported,  the  Indians  sat  down 
to  eat  their  dinner,  as  they  supposed,  in  perfect 
safety.  The  white  men  surprised  them,  while  they 
were  grouped  about  eating,  and  would  have  killed 
a  number,  if  not  all,  of  them  had  not  Henry  Baine's 
gun  gone  off  accidentally,  giving  the  alarm.  The  In- 
dians immediately  gave  fight,  charging  the  men  on 
foot.  They  wounded  five  horses.  Three  of  them 
afterwards  died.  The  fight  began  about  3  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  and  continued  until  after  dark.  Not 
a  white  man  was  wounded.  But  there  was  evidence 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  51 

of  some  of  the  Indians  being  killed  and  wounded. 
In  the  thickest  of  the  fray  Kit  King's  horse  ran 
under  a  tree  and  knocked  him  off.  His  horse  ran 
toward  the  Indians.  When  the  Indians  saw  him  fall 
they  thought  they  had  killed  him,  and  they  gave 
their  unearthly  war  whoop,  and  gobbled  like  tur- 
keys. The  men  said  Mr.  King  thought  he  was  shot, 
too,  at  first,  but  when  he  found  he  was  unhurt  he 
made  a  dash  for  his  horse.  He  succeeded  in  getting 
it  back,  and  also  one  of  the  Indians'  horses  for  Dan 
Brunson  to  ride,  as  his  horse  had  been  wounded  in 
the  battle,  and  was  unable  to  carry  him.  After 
this  the  Indians  withdrew  and  the  white  men  re- 
turned to  their  homes. 


INDIAN  RAID  NEAR  SPANISH  FORT, 

In  the  early  sixties  Mr.  A.  Penton,  with  his  fam- 
ily, was  living  near  Spanish  Fort,  in  this  county. 
At  this  time  the  Indians  had  been  raiding  down  on 
Denton  Creek.  It  was  the  custom  when  they  found 
the  Indians  had  come  over  on  the  Texas  side  to  send 
a  runner  to  tell  the  people  to  head  them  off  at  the 
river  crossing  on  their  way  to  the  Territory.  At  the 
time  recorded  Campbell  Laforce  came  by  Mr.  Pen- 
ton  to  warn  him  that  the  Indians  were  on  the  way, 
and  wanted  him  to  go  and  help  overtake  them. 
Laforce  had  ridden  all  night,  but  he  lost  no  time 


52  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

in  resting,  but  went  on  his  way  to  warn  others. 
Soon  after  he  left  Mr.  Luther  Landers  came  by  and 
asked  Mr.  Penton  to  come  and  go  with  him  to  the 
Indian  fight.  He  told  him  his  horses  were  out,  and 
he  had  nothing  to  ride.  Mr.  Landers  said,  "Well, 
let's  walk  out  here  to  the  edge  of  the  prairie,  and 
perhaps  we  may  find  your  horses."  They  went  on 
together,  both  carrying  guns,  Mr.  Landers  riding 
and  Mr.  Penton  walking  by  his  side.  They  reached 
a  knoll  called  Herring's  Point,  and  Mr.  Penton 
looked  down  in  the  hollow  and  saw  about  eighteen 
Indians  assembled  there.  They  had  nearly  fifty 
horses  with  them.  The  Indians  had  seen  the  ap- 
proach of  the  white  men  and  had  hidden  there  with 
the  intention  of  surprising  them.  Mr.  Landers  and 
Mr.  Penton  held  a  council  of  war  and  decided  to 
run.  They  started  for  the  timber,  knowing  if  they 
reached  there  they  could  better  protect  themselves 
from  the  Indians.  Mr.  Landers  took  Mr.  Penton 
behind  him  on  his  horse,  and  they  laughingly  said 
afterwards  that  they  tried  to  fly.  In  striking  at 
his  horse  he  struck  Mr.  Penton 's  gun.  It  went  off 
and  frightened  the  Indians  away.  They  reached 
Mr.  Penton 's,  and  fearing  the  Indians  would  follow 
and  attack  the  house  they  sent  the  entire  family 
to  a  thicket  at  the  back  of  the  field  and  told  them 
to  remain  there  until  all  was  over.  About  twenty- 
two  white  men  came  up  about  this  time  and  charged 
the  band  of  Indians.  Among  the  men  were  Bill 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  53 

Dixon,  Eb  Dixon,  George  Campbell,  Burnett,  Blair 
and  a  number  of  others  whose  names  could  not  bo 
obtained.  The  frightened  women  and  children  could 
hear  the  sound  of  the  guns.  This  only  served  to  in- 
crease their  alarm,  for  they  did  not  know  what  the 
result  of  the  battle  would  be.  Fortunately  none  of 
the  white  men  were  wounded,  but  a  number  of  In- 
dians were  wounded.  One  Indian,  whom  they  killed 
that  day  was  old  Chief  Lone  "Wolf's  son.  The  white 
men  scalped  him  and  his  warriors  left  him  where  he 
fell,  as  it  was  contrary  to  Indian  custom  to  carry  a 
scalped  Indian  from  the  battlefield.  Some  of  the 
Indians  who  succeeded  in  making  their  escape  were 
riding  some  of  Mr.  Bill  Freeman's  fine  race  horses 
that  they  had  stolen  from  him. 

After  the  fight  was  over  Mr.  Penton  brought  his 
family  to  the  house  and  they  prepared  dinner  for 
the  entire  company  of  white  men,  twenty-two  in 
number.  The  family  considered  it  a  privilege  to  dis- 
pense hospitality  to  these  good  pioneer  men,  who 
were  always  brave  in  the  defense  of  the  homes  of 
Montague  County. 


INDIANS     CAPTURE    DICK    FREEMAN    AND 
JOHN  BAILEY. 

Perhaps   the   best   known   and  most   widely   dis- 
cussed "Indian  capture"  ever  recorded  in  the  his- 


54  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

tory  of  Montague  County  was  that  of  the  capture 
of  Dick  Freeman  and  John  Bailey. 

The  earliest  home  of  Dick  Freeman  was  in  a  rude 
log  cabin  just  back  of  where  the  store  at  New 
Harp  now  stands. 

One  of  the  first  accomplishments  taught  a  boy 
in  those  days  was  how  to  manage  a  horse  properly. 
Young  Freeman  soon  became  an  expert  horseman, 
and  his  father  placed  him  in  charge  of  a  herd  of  cat- 
tle. He  was  as  reliable  as  a  man  in  looking  after 
his  father's  interests.  His  father,  Bill  Freeman, 
owned  a  great  many  cattle,  and  his  fine  horses  were 
known  all  over  the  county.  In  1867  Dick  Freeman 
and  John  Bailey,  an  orphan  boy  a  little  older  than 
himself,  to  whom  the  family  had  given  a  home, 
were  herding  cattle  on  a  small  opening  in  the  tim- 
ber just  east  of  their  home,  when  they  were  sur- 
prised and  taken  captive  by  two  Comanche  Indians. 
John  Bailey  was  riding  a  splendid  horse  that  be- 
longed to  Jim  Harry.  The  horse  was  known  all  over 
the  county  as  "Billy  Button."  Many  of  the  old 
settlers  will  remember  him  as  a  large  red  sorrel, 
sixteen  hands  high,  with  a  white  star  in  his  fore- 
head. (This  is  mentioned  because  that  was  a  day 
when  people  really  loved  their  horses.)  The  In- 
dians passed  within  sight  of  the  Freeman  home  with 
the  boys.  They  could  see  the  smoke  curling  peace- 
fully from  the  chimney.  "Let's  take  a  last  look 
at  home,  John,  for  we  will  never  see  it  again,"  said 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  55 

Dick,  as  he  gazed  longingly  in  that  direction.  He 
tried  hard  not  to  show  any  feeling,  for  the  Indians 
usually  punished  any  show  of  emotion ;  but  in  spite 
of  everything  a  tear  stole  silently  down  the  manly 
little  fellow's  cheek,  and  there  was  a  choking  sensa- 
tion in  his  throat  as  he  thought  of  the  mother  and 
father  he  would  never  see  again. 

They  tied  the  two  boys  to  a  tree  back  of  Levi  Fer- 
ryman's place,  leaving  an  Indian  to  guard  them, 
while  the  rest  of  the  band  went  on  to  Mr.  Perry- 
man's  house  with  the  intention  of  stealing  his  horses. 
Mr.  Ferryman  caught  sight  of  the  Indians,  seized 
his  gun  and  shot  at  them.  This  frightened  them 
away.  They  returned  to  where  the  two  captives 
were  tied,  placed  them  on  horses  and  went  on  their 
way  to  the  Comanche  camp,  in  the  Indian  Territory. 
At  first  the  two  boys  were  treated  most  cruelly. 
They  dragged  them  with  ropes,  caused  them  to  walk 
barefooted  in  the  snow,  and  allowed  them  to  be 
tantalized  in  every  conceivable  manner  by  the  In- 
dian boys  about  the  camp.  At  last  Dick,  who  was  a 
courageous  little  fellow,  decided  that  he  could  never 
make  his  escape  and  would  eventually  be  killed  by 
the  Indians,  anyway,  and  he  was  going  to  teach  one 
of  those  Indian  boys  a  lesson.  The  time  came  when, 
soon  after  he  had  made  up  his  mind,  an  Indian  boy, 
much  larger  than  Dick,  began  to  tantalize  him.  The 
Indian  was  taken  by  surprise  when  Dick,  with  sud- 
den fury,  sprang  upon  him. 


56  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

The  Indian  warriors  began  to  circle  around  them, 
and  Dick  supposed  his  time  had  come  at  last.  But 
he  determined  to  give  that  Indian  boy  something  to 
remember,  and  he  redoubled  his  energies  with  in- 
creased vigor.  He  fairly  rained  blows  upon  the 
boy,  scratching  his  face  and  tearing  his  hair,  unti] 
the  boy  begged  for  mercy.  Then  Dick  arose,  folded 
his  arms  and  looked  his  tormentors  full  in  the  face, 
expecting  to  be  killed  the  next  minute.  Now,  there 
is  nothing  in  all  the  world  that  an  Indian  admires 
like  bravery.  To  Dick's  astonishment  the  Indians 
seized  him,  tossed  him  into  the  air,  calling  him 
"heap  big  warrior."  From  that  time  on  he  was  a 
great  favorite  with  the  tribesmen.  They  taught 
him  all  sorts  of  Indian  tricks,  in  riding,  in  lassoing", 
dancing  and  swimming.  He  remained  with  them 
nearly  a  year,  and  could  speak  the  Comanche  lan- 
guage fluently. 

On  the  day  the  boys  were  taken  captive,  when 
the  time  came  for  them  to  return  home,  their  fail- 
ure to  appear  caused  the  family  much  alarm.  A 
searching  party  went  to  look  for  them,  and  when 
they  found  Dick's  saddle  that  had  been  dropped  by 
the  way,  they  were  convinced  that  the  boys  had  been 
killed  by  the  Indians  and  were  given  up  for  dead. 
When  nearly  a  year  had  passed  by  some  citizens 
were  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Comanche  camp,  in  the 
Indian  Territory,  when  they  unexpectedly  saw  and 
recognized  John  Bailey.  They  bought  him  from  the 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  57 

Indians  and  brought  him  home.  He  had  not  been 
in  the  same  camp  with  Dick  and  could  not  say 
whether  Dick  had  been  killed  or  not.  His  return 
aroused  a  renewed  hope  within  the  father's  heart 
that  would  not  be  stilled.  He  determined  to  make 
an  effort  to  recover  his  son.  Mr.  Freeman  armed 
himself  heavily,  mounted  his  finest  horse  and,  ac- 
companied by  a  brave  friend,  he  rode  to  the  Indian 
camp  on  the  Washita  River.  To  his  great  joy  he 
found  Dick  alive  and  well,  but  to  all  outward  ap- 
pearances he  was  an  Indian.  The  Indian  chief  had 
become  so  fond  of  him  he  had  tried  in  every  way 
to  cause  him  to  forget  all  he  knew  about  civili- 
zation. 

He  had  discarded  his  clothes  for  the  Indian  garb. 
They  had  allowed  his  hair  to  grow  long,  had  painted 
his  face  Indian  fashion  and  caused  him  to  wear  rings 
in  his  ears  and  bracelets  on  his  arms,  and  carefully 
taught  him  the  Comanche  language.  In  spite  of  all 
this  Dick  recognized  his  father  at  first  sight,  ran  to 
him  and  begged  him  to  take  him  back  to  mother 
and  the  children.  The  Indians  had  formed  such  an 
attachment  for  the  boy  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  they  were  induced  to  give  him  up.  At  last 
Freeman  offered  them  the  fine  horse  he  was  riding 
and  five  hundred  dollars  in  money,  and  they  con- 
sented to  give  him  up.  The  Indians  took  a  great 
dislike  to  Mr.  Freeman,  and  told  him  if  they  ever 
caught  him  out  anywhere  in  after  years  that  they 


58  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

would  kill  and  scalp  him.  To  demonstrate  the  man- 
ner of  death  they  meant  they  passed  their  knives 
about  his  head.  There  was  great  joy  in  the  Free- 
man household  when  the  father  returned  with  Dick. 
The  neighbors  gathered  in  to  see  the  boy  that  had 
been  stolen,  and  to  hear  him  relate  his  experiences 
with  the  Indians.  His  Indian  antics  and  Comanche 
language  amused  the  boys  very  much.  Gradually 
he  dropped  the  Indian  customs  he  had  acquired, 
and  it  finally  became  almost  impossible  to  induce 
him  to  speak  of  his  captivity.  Not  far  from  where 
he  was  captured  this  boy,  now  grown  to  manhood, 
lives  in  a  pretty  white  cottage  at  the  foot  of  a  high 
hill.  It  is  a  beautiful  spot,  and  from  the  front  porch 
a  magnificent  view  is  to  be  had  of  the  country,  over 
which  the  Indian  was  wont  to  roam  in  the  long  ago. 
The  father  of  John  Bailey,  who  is  spoken  of  in  this 
story,  lived  in  Wise  County,  at  the  home  of  Jim 
Ball.  One  day  Mr.  Ball  was  in  his  field  when  he 
suddenly  beheld  a  large  band  of  Indians  coming 
down  the  mountain  side.  They  ran  by  him  on  to 
where  Tom  Bailey  was  at  work.  Mr.  Ball's  little 
son  was  with  him  at  this  time.  An  Indian  attempted 
to  capture  the  child,  and  succeeded  in  getting  him 
up  behind  him  on  the  horse,  when  Bailey  shot  him  in 
the  forehead.  The  Indian  fell  forward,  and  the 
child  slipped  to  the  ground.  Another  Indian  killed 
Bailey  and  captured  the  child.  He  was  afterwards 
bought  back  by  his  father.  A  long  time  afterwards 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  59 

the  Indians  passed  through  that  section  of  the  coun- 
try and  were  pursued  by  a  band  of  white  men.  The 
Indians  managed  to  escape,  but  had  to  leave  one 
of  the  Indian  ponies  behind  that  had  given  out  in 
the  race  and  could  run  no  further.  The  men  brought 
the  pony  back  with  them  and  stopped  at  Mr.  Ball's 
house.  The  little  boy  came  out  clapping  his  hands 
with  joy  as  he  exclaimed,  "Old  Hal  has  sent  me  my 
pony.  He  has  seven  holes  in  his  ears  to  put  ribbons 
in."  The  men  examined  the  pony's  ears  and  found 
what  the  child  had  said  to  be  true,  and  gave  the 
pony  to  him.  When  the  little  boy  was  a  captive  in 
an  Indian  camp  he  became  a  great  favorite  with 
old  Chief  Hal,  and  he  had  given  him  this  pony  to 
ride  so  long  as  he  remained  on  the  Indian  reserva- 
tion. The  Indians  frequently  became  very  much  at- 
tached to  the  white  children  whom  they  captured, 
and  could  scarcely  be  induced  to  give  them  up. 


THE  LOST  SOLDIER. 

In  the  winter  of  1868  a  scouting  party  was  sent 
out  from  Fort  Sill.  On  their  way  they  camped  at 
different  places.  One  night  they  hobbled  their  horses 
and  turned  them  loose  to  graze.  Next  morning  was 
foggy  and  misty.  In  looking  for  the  horses  one 
of  the  soldiers  became  separated  from  his  compan- 
ions, and  was  not  seen  by  them  again  for  several 


60  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

months.  They  searched  for  him  for  a  while,  but 
concluding  that  he  would  join  them  later  they  went 
on  their  way,  leaving  him  to  his  fate.  He  had  a  ter- 
rible experience.  Left  without  food  and  but  little 
ammunition,  he  scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  For 
days  he  traveled  through  the  woods,  afraid  to  shout 
or  fire  his  gun,  for  fear  he  would  attract  the  Indians. 
Finally,  becoming  desperate  from  hunger,  he  killed 
game  to  live  on  as  long  as  his  ammunition  lasted. 
After  that  was  exhausted  he  took  the  magazine  out 
of  his  gun  to  make  fish  hooks  with  which  to  -catch 
fish.  As  a  last  resort  he  was  forced  to  kill  his  horse 
for  food.  He  spent  a  week  drying  the  horse  flesh. 
During  this  time  he  took  off  his  army  blouse  and 
tied  it  to  a  pole.  He  then  climbed  the  highest  cot- 
tonwood  tree  he  could  find  and  tied  it  in  the  top, 
hoping  some  one  would  see  it  in  passing  and  come 
to  his  assistance.  After  waiting  several  days  he 
became  discouraged  and  decided  to  start  out  again 
through  this  strange  country  in  an  effort  to  find 
civilization.  He  was  beset  with  many  dangers.  Be- 
sides the  great  loneliness  of  the  woods,  and  the  cer- 
tain, knowledge  that  he  was  lost,  was  his  almost 
starving  condition,  and  his  fear  of  the  Indians. 
Finally  the  desire  for  the  sight  of  a  human  face  be- 
came so  strong  that  he  lost  all  fear  of  the  Indians, 
and  would  gladly  have  welcomed  the  sight  of  one. 
He  took  the  precaution  to  take  the  mane  of  his 
horse  and  made  a  wig  to  wear,  so  if  he  was  seen  by 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  61 

Indians  they  would  mistake  him  for  one  of  their 
own  race,  and  they  would  not  kill  him  at  first  sight. 
The  lower  part  of  his  boots,  by  this  time,  were 
completely  worn  out  by  constant  walking  over  rough 
places,  so  he  took  the  tops  of  the  boots,  together  with 
pieces  of  horse  hide,  and  made  moccasins  with  which 
to  protect  his  tired,  worn  feet.  His  clothing  was 
worn  and  torn.  His  hair  and  beard  long  and  un- 
kempt. It  only  goes  to  prove  how  sparsely  the 
country  was  settled,  when  it  is  known  that  he 
wandered  for  three  months  without  having  seen  a 
human  face,  not  even  an  Indian.  He  said  that  he 
prayed  earnestly,  time  and  again.  At  last  he  prayed 
the  Almighty  to  give  him  some  sign  to  cheer  him 
if  he  was  ever  to  be  found  at  all.  He  declared  that 
a  great  light  shone  about  him,  and  he  was  greatly 
comforted. 

It  was  now  April.  Cash  McDonald  and  Bob 
Stephens  of  Montague  County  had  started  out  to 
overtake  a  herd  of  cattle  that  had  passed  through 
their  settlement,  and  see  if  any  of  the  neighbors' 
cattle  were  in  the  herd.  They  crossed  over  into  Clay 
County  and  that  night,  when  near  Buffalo  Springs, 
they  came  upon  a  small  hackberry  thicket  and 
saw  the  faint  glimmer  of  a  light.  Their  first  thought 
was  that  it  was  an  Indian  camp  fire,  and  they  held 
a  council  as  to  what  they  should  do.  They  decided 
to  call  and  see  what  the  result  would  be.  At  the 
sound  of  their  voices  the  man  ran  out  to  meet  them. 


62  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

He  was  overcome  with  joy,  talking  and  crying  at 
the  same  time.  He  said  repeatedly,  "  Thank  God 
for  a  white  man's  face  once  more."  The  only  pro- 
visions he  had  with  him  was  some  dried  horse  flesh. 
After  listening  to  the  story  of  his  three  months' 
wanderings  they  divided  their  food  with  him  and 
told  him  to  camp  there  until  morning,  when  they 
.would  return  for  him. 

He  feared  that  they  were  only  taking  this  method 
to  get  rid  of  him,  and  after  they  left  he  followed 
down  the  road  in  the  direction  the  men  had  taken. 
The  next  day  the  men  met  him  on  the  way.  They 
took  it  time  about  riding  and  walking.  They  made 
such  slow  progress  in  this  way  that  Mr.  Stephens 
told  him  to  camp  for  the  night  and  he  would  send 
a  boy  back  with  an  extra  horse  for  him  next  day. 
The  man  was  so  anxious  to  reach  civilization  he  at- 
tempted to  walk  on,  and  was  met  next  day  by  Hiram 
Wainscot  and  taken  to  Queen's  Peak.  At  this  time 
Mr.  Stephens  had  charge  of  Solen  Loving 's  cattle 
at  Queen's  Peak,  and  had  a  number  of  cowboys 
working  for  him.  He  took  the  lost  man  in  and 
clothed  him.  Finding  him  to  be  a  fine  cook  he  em- 
ployed him  to  do  the  cooking  for  himself  and  the 
cowboys.  A  company  of  soldiers  was  stationed  at 
Jacksboro.  The  man  reported  to  them,  and  they 
reported  to  his  company  at  Fort  Sill.  By  this  means 
he  communicated  with  his  company  and  afterwards 
returned  to  them.  His  gratitude  toward  the  men 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  63 

who  found  him  knew  no  bounds.  He  frequently 
wrote  to  Hiram  Wainscot,  to  whom  he  was  greatly 
attached. 


AMONG  OTHER  INDIAN   CRUELTIES. 

Mr.  Stump,  a  citizen  of  Montague  County,  living 
near  Clear  Creek,  accompanied  by  a  young  man 
named  Bailey,  who  worked  for  him  on  the  farm,  had 
started  to  Sherman  to  mill.  They  did  not  feel  any 
special  fear  of  Indians  that  morning,  as  there  had 
been  no  raids  through  that  part  of  the  county  in 
some  time.  There  had  been  a  number  of  small  hunt- 
ing parties,  composed  of  Indians,  passing  through 
the  country,  but  they  had  appeared  disposed  to  be 
friendly,  although  they  would  steal  the  settlers7 
horses  whenever  opportunity  afforded.  It  never 
paid  to  feel  too  secure  from  danger  in  Indian  times, 
for  when  you  least  expected  them  the  foe  was  upon 
you.  Mr.  Stump,  although  urged  by  his  family  to 
take  his  fire  arms  with  him,  would  not  do  so,  saying 
he  would  leave  them  for  the  protection  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  that  he  was  not  apprehensive  of  danger  any- 
way on  this  trip. 

The  men  had  traveled  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  home  when  they  suddenly  came  upon  a  band  of 
Indians.  The  Indians  at  once  surrounded  them,  and 
young  Bailey  began  to  cry,  saying  he  knew  they 


64  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

were  going  to  kill  them.  The  Indians  told  them  to 
have  no  fears,  that  they  were  good,  friendly  Caddos. 
After  a  short  conversation  the  Indians  began  shoot- 
ing. They  stopped  as  suddenly  as  they  began,  and 
forced  the  men  to  remove  their  clothing.  They  be- 
gan shooting  again,  killing  young  Bailey  instantly. 
This  killing  took  place  near  where  the  "Peabody 
school  house "  nowr  stands.  When  he  saw  young 
Bailey  fall,  Mr.  Stump  made  a  dash  to  escape,  with 
two  Indians  in  pursuit.  He  was  a  swift  runner,  but 
as  he  ran  the  Indians'  bullets  pierced  him  in  more 
than  a  dozen  places.  He  left  the  road  and  started 
to  run  through  the  woods.  This  gave  him  some  ad- 
vantage, for  the  Indians  were  riding  horses  and 
could  not  make  fast  progress  through  the  under- 
growth. Mr.  Stump  ran  about  four  hundred  yards, 
when  he  saw  a  man  at  work  in  a  field  near-by.  He 
crossed  over  to  him  and  fell  at  his  side.  The  man's 
name  was  Priest.  According  to  pioneer  custom,  Mr. 
Priest  had  his  gun  with  him  in  the  field.  With  it 
he  succeeded  in  frightening  the  Indians  away.  He 
then  turned  hi$  attention  to  the  wounded  man.  He 
was  unable  to  walk,  and  Mr.  Priest  could  not  carry 
him  without  assistance,  so  there  was  nothing  else 
to  do  but  leave  him  there  and  go  for  assistance.  It 
was  a  trying  moment  for  Mr.  Stump,  to  be  left  there 
wounded,  helpless  and  with  nothing  to  defend  him- 
self with,  not  knowing  what  minute  the  Indians 
would  return  and  scalp  him.  Fortunately  this  did 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  65 

not  happen,  and  in  a  short  time  Mr.  Priest  returned 
with  help,  and  they  carried  the  wounded  man  to  the 
Priest  home.  He  remained  there  a  month,  when, 
in  spite  of  his  dangerous  wounds,  he  was  nursed  back 
to  health  and  strength,  and.  in  1912  was  still  alive. 


AN  INDIAN  ATTACK. 

The  Indians,  when  raiding  through  the  county, 
came  down  near  a  place  called  the  "Old  Music 
Farm."  A  widow  by  the  name  of  Davis  lived  there, 
together  with  several  children.  Her  oldest  daugh- 
ter was  called  Nan.  Late  one  evening  they  heard 
horse  bells  down  at  the  creek  near-by,  and  thinking 
their  horses  had  come  up  for  water,  Nan  and  her 
mother  started  out  to  catch  them,  and  bring  them 
to  the  house.  When  they  reached  the  creek  they 
saw  a  band  of  Indians  there.  The  Indians  discov- 
ered their  presence  about  the  same  time  and  made 
an  attempt  to  capture  them.  They  did  not  seem  in- 
clined to  kill  them,  but  were  determined  to  capture 
Nan.  The  girl  fought  desperately,  but  finally  one 
of  the  Indians  succeeded  in  getting  her  behind  him 
on  his  horse.  She  managed  to  get  down  and  ran 
through  the  briars  and  undergrowth  until  she 
reached  the  Hamilton  home,  quite  a  distance  away. 

Her  clothing  was  torn  and  her  hands  and  feet 
were  torn  and  bleeding  from  contact  with  the  sharp 


66  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

briars.  The  Indians  had  a  large  bunch  of  horses 
they  had  stolen,  and  rather  than  run  the  risk  of 
losing  them  they  let  her  go,  and  did  not  try  to  fol- 
low. The  mother  ran  away  while  they  were  fighting 
with  Nan.  She  hurried  home  to  her  other  children 
and  barricaded  the  house,  but  the  Indians  went 
another  route,  and  they  were  safe. 


QUEEN'S   PEAK   INCIDENT. 

Indian  depredations  had  become  so  frequent  that 
three  families  had  become  alarmed  for  their  safety 
and  decided  to  live  together  for  protection  from  the 
Indians. 

They  were  Rile  Willingham  and  family,  R.  J.  San- 
difer  and  family,  and  Mrs.  Chesley  Marlett  and  fam- 
ily. They  were  living  in  a  cattle  corral  at  Queen's 
Peak.  One  morning  they  heard  some  shooting  in 
the  distance.  Looking  out  they  saw  the  Indians 
killing  and  scalping  two  negroes  who  were  on  their 
way  to  the  fort  when  overtaken  by  the  Indians. 
After  killing  the  negroes  the  Indians  divided  into 
two  companies.  They  had  about  twenty-eight  loose 
horses  feeding  near-by.  One  company  of  Indians 
stayed  with  the  horses.  The  others  climbed  on  top 
of  the  Peak  so  that  they  could  look  down  into  the 
corral  and  discover  how  many  men  were  there.  They 
seemed  to  tire  of  this  and  contented  themselves  with 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  67 

shooting  down  fourteen  head  of  cattle.  Then  they 
began  to  maneuver  again  to  find  out  the  number  of 
men  in  the  corral.  Rile  Willingham  and  Lonnie 
Stephens  were  the  only  men  there.  Mrs.  Sandifer 
and  Mrs.  "Willingham  dressed  to  represent  men  and 
completely  fooled  the  Indians.  They  put  all  the  little 
children  down  in  a  little  dugout  for  protection.  Mrs. 
Marlett,  who  held  a  gun,  was  asked  if  there  was  any 
more  ammunition.  She  answered  no.  Her  house 
was  in  the  same  enclosure,  so  she  said  she  would  go 
and  get  some  ammunition  that  was  there.  They 
tried  to  keep  her  from  going,  but  she  said,  "What 
can  we  do  without  ammunition  if  the  Indians  attack 
us  ? "  She  crossed  over  to  her  house  and  got  the  am- 
munition. An  Indian,  who  was  on  a  horse  and  heav- 
ily armed,  looked  straight  at  her  as  she  came  out, 
but  made  no  effort  to  harm  her.  It  was  supposed 
he  refrained  from  killing  her  because  he  feared  an 
attack  from  the  men  on  the  inside,  and  being  un- 
certain as  to  their  number  he  hesitated  about  firing. 
She  secured  the  ammunition  and  returned  unhurt. 

After  riding  around  near  the  corral  for  almost  two 
hours  the  Indians  left.  For  a  while  they  feared  they 
would  return,  but  the  Indians  decided  not  to  molest 
them  further,  and  they  were  left  in  peace  for  a  while. 

Immediately  following  the  Queen's  Peak  affair 
Frank  Marlett,  Mount  Stroud,  Dick  Sandifer,  Joe 
Johnson  and  Bud  Leath  had  gone  to  the  Green  place, 
about  one  mile  distant  from  the  Marlett  home.  When 


68  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

nearly  half  way  back  home  they  suddenly  came  upon 
a  band  of  Indians.  At  first  they  thought  they  were 
cowmen,  but  when  they  discovered  they  were  In- 
dians they  made  their  way  to  a  hollow  near-by  and 
prepared  for  a  fight.  A  few  shots  were  exchanged, 
but  no  one  was  hurt.  It  was  the  purpose  of  the  In- 
dians to  steal  the  horses  at  the  Marlett  place  be- 
longing to  the  men,  and  when  they  found  this  was 
impossible  they  passed  over  the  ridge  and  out  of 
sight. 


OLD  TIP'S  DISLIKE  FOR  THE  INDIANS. 

In  the  early  days  of  this  county  no  possession  was 
more  highly  appreciated  than  a  good  horse.  A 
swift  horse  was  known  by  name  all  over  the  settle- 
ment, and  to  own  one  was  a  very  good  introduction 
to  public  favor.  For  a  good  ju'dge  of  horseflesh  was 
held  in  no  slight  esteem. 

Many  a  man  owed  his  escape  from  the  Indians  to 
his  fleetfooted  horse.  As  a  rule  they  were  keenly 
alive  to  Indian  signs,  and  their  restless  manner  and 
other  exhibitions  of  uneasiness  would  often  warn 
their  masters  of  danger  when  they  least  expected 
that  Indians  were  near.  These  instincts  were  char- 
acteristic of  "Old  Tip."  He  possessed  the  true  pio- 
neer spirit  in  that  he  shared  the  pioneer's  dislike  for 
the  Indian.  He  was  fleet  of  foot  and  strong  of  limb. 


HISTOEY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  69 

He  was  devoted  to  his  master,  and  made  his  way 
back  to  him  on  different  trying  occasions.  His  large 
eyes  looked  out  upon  the  world  with  intelligent  in- 
terest. Old  Tip  was  a  horse  and  his  master's  name 
was  Sain  McDonald.  Mr.  McDonald  and  his  family 
were  living  with  his  father,  Cash  McDonald,  and 
family,  on  Denton  Creek.  They  lived  in  separate 
houses,  but  within  the  same  enclosure,  for  protec- 
tion from  the  Indians.  The  doors  to  this  enclosure 
opened  on  the  inside,  giving  the  occupants  some  ad- 
vantage over  the  Indians.  They  had  also  picketed 
in  a  space  for  the  horses.  It  was  within  this  pick- 
eted space  that  "Old  Tip,"  together  with  the  other 
horses  belonging  to  the  family,  was  wont  to  spend 
his  nights.  He  stood  in  mortal  terror  of  the  Indians, 
and  when  his  master  heard  him  pawing  and  snort- 
ing at  night  this  was  warning  enough.  He  knew 
that  "Old  Tip"  had  discovered  that  Indians  were 
near.  In  the  summer  of  1867  the  Indians  made  a 
raid  on  the  McDonald  home  at  night.  John  Wain- 
scot and  his  son,  Isaac,  were  spending  the  night  with 
the  family.  Mr.  McDonald  was  awakened  by  Old  Tip 
pawing  and  snorting.  Feeling  certain  that  Indians 
were  near  he  got  up  to  investigate.  A  white  table- 
cloth had  been  hung  over  the  door  that  day,  and  as 
Mr.  McDonald  opened  the  door  to  look  out,  an  In- 
dian, that  had  been  stationed  to  watch  the  house, 
saw  the  cloth  and,  mistaking  it  for  a  man,  fired.  The 
bullet  failed  to  strike  Mr.  McDonald,  lodging  in  a 


70  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

post  at  the  side  of  the  picket.  The  shot  aroused 
the  other  members  of  the  family.  In  the  confusion 
that  followed  the  Indians  succeeded  in  getting  Old 
Tip  and  a  fine  mare  and  colt.  The  men  could  see 
the  Indians  in  the  bright  moonlight,  crossing  the 
field,  and  recognized  the  horse  they  had  stolen.  A 
few  shots  were  exchanged,  but  to  no  effect.  "Old 
Tip"  managed  to  get  away  from  the  Indians  next 
day  and  came  back  home.  The  other  horses  were 
never  recovered. 

On  another  occasion  Old  Tip  was  hobbled.  He 
was  grazing  peacefully  when  suddenly  his  instinct 
warned  him  that  the  Indians  were  near.  Instantly 
he  started  to  flee.  The  Indians  made  every  effort  to 
capture  him.  They  ran  him  several  miles.  The  horse 
was  wise  enough  to  try  to  reach  the  fort.  Finally 
the  Indians  succeeded  in  getting  a  lariat  on  him. 
It  took  one  Indian  to  manage  him  while  the  other 
Indians  were  exchanging  shots  with  Isom  McDon- 
ald, Dace  McDonald  and  Fred  Broadstreet,  who  had 
seen  the  capture  of  the  horse  and  started  in  hot  pur- 
suit. The  Indians,  seeing  that  the  fight  would  prove 
disastrous  to  themselves  were  forced  to  turn  Old 
Tip  loose  and  run.  The  next  day  "Old  Tip"  was 
found  by  the  men.  He  was  badly  bruised  by  the 
hobbles.  In  his  course  he  ran  by  where  the  Dry 
Valley  church  now  stands,  on  across  to  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Holbrook  farm.  Sam  McDonald  slipped 
up  and  caught  hold  of  the  lariat  and  wrapped  it 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  71 

around  a  tree.  He  had  some  difficulty  in  approach- 
ing the  horse  because  the  rope  had  the  scent  of  In- 
dians on  it.  By  persistent  patting  and  coaxing  he 
finally  managed  to  reassure  "Old  Tip"  that  he  was 
in  the  hands  of  friends.  His  master  said :  ' i  Old  fel- 
low, you  have  made  good  your  escape  from  the  In- 
dians again,  and  as  long  as  I  own  you,  you  shall 
never  wear  hobbles  again."  And  "Old  Tip."  was 
exempt  from  hobbles  from  that  day. 


INDIANS  DISTURB  PREACHING  SERVICE. 

Rev.  Joe  Weaver  was  holding  a  protracted  meet- 
ing at  Hegler's  Store  (now  called  Forrestburg). 
Most  of  the  people  of  the  settlement  had  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  attend  these  ser- 
vices. Mrs.  McCracken,  a  good  pioneer  Christian 
woman  of  the  neighborhood,  had  not  been  situated 
so  that  she  could  attend  the  meeting,  so  she  sent 
word  to  the  minister  to  announce  that  if  he  would 
come  and  hold  one  service  at  her  home  on  Sunday 
she  would  prepare  dinner  for  all  who  would  come. 
Quite  a  number  accepted  the  invitation.  After  the 
service  was  over  and  dinner  had  been  served  the 
people  began  to  leave.  The  minister  was  one  of  the 
first  to  go,  as  he  had  announced  services  for  that 
afternoon.  Some  of  the  party  lingered  for  a  while, 
going  on  later  to  the  meeting.  On  their  way  they 


72  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

caught  sight  of  an  Indian  spy  in  the  distance.  A 
little  further  on  they  saw  about  forty  Indians  as- 
sembled. By  this  time  the  congregation  had  arrived 
and  the  singing- was  in  progress.  A  Mr.  Southward 
went  to  the  minister  and  whispered  to  him  of  what 
he  had  seen.  The  minister  announced  this  to  the 
congregation,  at  the  same  time  advising  the  men 
to  put  the  women  and  children  in  the  store  for  pro- 
tection, while  the  men  stood  guard  on  the  outside. 
This  announcement  instantly  changed  the  service 
into  war  preparations,  every  man  holding  a  gun  in 
his  hand  ready  for  action.  All  of  the  congregation 
remained  there  except  Joe  and  Milo  Box,  their 
sister,  Pink,  Mr.  Southward  and  his  pretty  daughter, 
Lou  (who  afterwards  became  Mrs.  Joe  Box),  and 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Weaver.  Their  mother  had  remained 
at  home  that  day  and  the  Box  children,  fearful  that 
the  Indians  might  attack  their  lonely  cabin  home, 
refused  to  remain  in  comparative  safety  while  Mrs. 
Box  was  threatened  with  danger.  From  some  un- 
known cause  the  Indians  decided  to  leave  the  county 
without  molesting  the  settlers,  but  they  succeeded 
in  breaking  up  a  good  meeting. 

They  traveled  southeast  into  Denton  County,  pur- 
sued by  a  band  of  rangers  from  Montague  County. 
When  the  Indians  caught  sight  of  the  rangers  they 
broke  and  ran  as  if  they  were  badly  frightened.  This 
proved  to  be  only  a  ruse  to  get  the  soldiers  to  fol- 
low them.  The  soldiers  quickly  rode  after  them,  to 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  73 

find  that  the  greater  number  of  the  Indians  had  se- 
creted themselves  in  the  grass  and  began  firing  at 
them  as  they  rode  up.  The  Indians  now  began  to 
circle  around  them,  Indian  fashion.  Sergeant  Cobb 
said,  "Boys,  there  has  got  to  be  some  fighting  done. 
Dismount  and  make  breastworks  of  your  horses." 
The  soldiers  then  opened  fire  on  the  Indians,  but 
without  result.  In  the  meantime  the  Indians  were 
circling  closer  and  closer  to  them.  A  boy  of  sixteen 
was  one  of  the  company.  His  mother  had  died  some 
time  before  this  and  he  had  no  place  to  stay,  so  his 
father,  who  belonged  to  the  rangers,  took  him  every- 
where he  went.  The  boy  was  riding  the  finest  horse 
in  the  company  and  was  a  plucky  little  Indian 
fighter,  and  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  company. 

In  the  thickest  of  the  fray  he  was  wounded  by  a 
shot  from  an  Indian.  He  called  out,  "Father,  I'm 
wounded."  The  father  knew  it  was  no  time  to  sym- 
pathize with  him  and,  although  much  alarmed  about 
his  condition,  he  smiled  bravely  as  he  replied,  "It 
can't  be  helped,  son,  kill  an  Indian."  Thus  encour- 
aged, the  little  fellow  held  out  bravely  for  a  while, 
but  soon  began  to  grow  faint  from  loss  of  blood. 

The  rangers7  horses  were  so  tired  from  being  rid- 
den so  far  that  they  scarcely  moved,  although  the 
bullets  fell  thick  and  fast  about  them. 

Sergeant  Cobb  ordered:  "Boys,  every  man  take 
deadly  aim  at  the  front  Indians."  When  the  smoke 
cleared  away  they  discovered  they  had  killed  the 


74  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Indian  chief.  He  was  tied  on  his  horse,  and  after  he 
was  killed  the  horse  he  was  riding  ran  into  the  ran- 
gers' ranks  and  was  captured.  The  horse  was  a 
beautiful  gray  that  the  Indians  had  stolen  from 
Bart  Trailer.  The  Indians  had  painted  flowers  and 
curious  designs  all  over  him.  The  Indians  became 
confused,  just  as  they  always  did  when  their  chief 
was  slain.  They  were  falling  fast  under  the  deadly 
fire  of  the  rangers. 

Sergeant  Cobb  now  said:  "We  must  retreat; 
our  boy  can't  hold  out  much  longer.77  And  indeed, 
by  now,  the  little  fellow  was  almost  in  a  fainting 
condition.  "Retreat  in  an  orderly  manner,"  was 
the  command.  As  they  were  obeying  his  command 
one  of  the  rangers  saw  an  Indian  just  in  the  act  of 
killing  him  with  a  long  spear.  He  shot  the  Indian 
through  the  forehead,  and  his  horse  began  to  kick 
and  plunge.  The  Indian  was  tied  on,  and  the  last 
the  rangers  saw  of  the  Indian  was  his  foot  sticking 
up  in  the  air  as,  tied  to  his  horse,  he  went  over  the 
hill.  This  amused  the  wrounded  boy,  who  could  not 
help  but  smile  as  he  saw  the  Indian's  foot  high  in 
the  air,  disappearing  in  the  distance. 

The  company  took  the  boy  to  the  home  of  a  man 
near  by,  where  he  remained  until  morning.  His  con- 
dition was  much  improved  by  the  next  day,  and  the 
entire  company  rode  back  to  their  camp  at  the  old 
Austin  Morris  place,  north  of  where  Levi  Ferryman 
now  lives,  near  Forrestburg.  The  boy  was  the  only 
one  of  the  company  who  was  wounded. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  75 

INDIAN  SKIRMISH  BETWEEN  CENTRALIA 
AND  DYE  MOUND. 

Mr.  Bud  Morris  of  Montague  and  Mr.  Holloway 
Williams  were  riding  leisurely  along  one  day  when 
they  suddenly  rode  up  on  ten  Indians,  near  Dye 
Mound.  They  drove  the  Indians  into  a  ravine,  after 
shooting  one  Indian  off  his  horse.  They  left  the 
Indians  in  the  ravine  and  went  to  Montague  after 
recruits.  They  returned  with  the  men,  and  the 
Indians,  who  had  remained  in  the  ravine,  began 
firing  on  them.  Mr.  Morris  was  shot  through  his 
clothing  with  an  arrow,  but  it  failed  to  touch  him. 
Mr.  Williams  was  shot  through  his  clothing,  but 
they  failed  to  wound  him.  Mr.  Ferryman's  horse 
was  wounded  but  afterwards  recovered.  Mr.  Fer- 
ryman was  the  only  man  in  the  company  that  was 
hurt.  He  sustained  a  slight  injury  on  the  temple, 
made  by  a  flying  bullet.  The  white  men  killed  four 
Indians  and  wounded  others.  They  also  captured 
all  of  the  Indians'  horses  but  one.  The  Indians  ran 
off  on  foot. 


A  PIONEER  WOMAN'S  EXPERIENCE  WITH 
THE  INDIANS. 

While  it  has  been  impossible  to  give  an  account  of 
all  the  Indian  depredations  in  Montague  County  yet 


76  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

the  following  story  will  serve  to  show  the  harrowing 
experiences  endured  by  nearly  every  pioneer  woman 
of  this  county.  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  woman 
who  lived  in  those  days  that  has  not  at  least  been 
badly  frightened  by  the  Indians.  If  the  Indians 
failed  to  appear  they  were  in  constant  dread  for  fear 
they  would.  Mrs.  Levi  Blankenship,  who  has  been 
living  two  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Forrestburg 
ever  since  1861,  said  that  she  suffered  much  uneasi- 
ness for  fear  the  Indians  would  attack  her  home 
in  the  absence  of  her  husband.  Her  father  enlisted 
in  the  Southern  army  soon  after  they  moved  into 
the  county.  She  said  that  she  well  remembered 
with  what  sad  hearts  the  wives  and  mothers  gathered 
about  a  large  log  heap  fire  built  near  Hegler's  Store 
(now  called  Forrestburg)  on  a  cold,  dreary  morn- 
ing, to  bid  farewell  to  husbands,  sons,  and  fathers. 
How  proudly  the  little  company  marched  around 
and  around  the  store.  Then  the  good-byes  were  said. 
Some  went  to  return  and  others  fell  on  the  field  of 
battle. 

About  twenty-five  Indians  passed  her  house  one 
morning.  Four  of  them  came  near  her  door  and 
motioned  for  her  to  come  and  go  with  them.  She 
shook  her  head  at  them,  and  one  of  the  Indians  shot 
at  her.  She  bravely  said,  "I  can  shoot,  too,"  and 
went  in  the  house  to  get  a  gun.  They  stole  her 
horses  and  passed  on.  She  then  took  her  children 
and  fled  to  the  woods  with  them.  Later  her  hus- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  77 

band,  who  had  returned  home,  came  and  called  her, 
and  they  went  to  the  home  of  her  father,  Mr.  Ben 
Steadham.  Here  they  found  that  the  Indians  had  at- 
tacked the  Steadham  home  that  day,  and  Mrs.  Stead- 
ham  had  donned  a  man's  hat  and  took  a  gun  and 
frightened  them  away. 

Mr.  Blankenship  frequently  went  as  an  Indian 
runner  to  warn  the  people  of  the  presence  of  In- 
dians. 

DEATH  OF  ANDY  POWERS. 

In  October,  1866,  Andy  Powers,  a  citizen  of  Mon- 
tague County,  whose  home  vv~as  on  Clear  Creek,  was 
traveling  with  a  companion,  whose  name  could  not 
be  learned,  from  Gainesville  to  Forrestburg.  On 
the  way  they  were  attacked  by  a  band  of  Indians. 
Powers'  companion  was  riding  a  fine  horse,  and 
when  they  saw  the  Indians  approaching  he  tried  to 
get  him  to  leave  the  mule  he  was  riding  and  get  up 
behind  him,  and  they  would  outrun  the  Indians. 
This  Powers  refused  to  do.  The  poor  man  had  a 
chill  at  the  time  and  was  quite  sick.  His  companion 
said  afterward  that  he  did  not  seem  disposed  to 
make  much  resistance.  The  man  seeing  they  would 
be  overpowered  and  killed,  and  being  unable  to  per- 
suade Mr.  Powers  to  come  with  him,  fired  one  shot 
at  the  Indians  and  fled.  They  killed  and  scalped 
Andy  Powers,  leaving  him  on  the  spot,  but  taking 
his  scalp  and  all  valuables  that  he  had  with  him. 


78  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

"INDIAN   CUNNING. " 

In  the  spring  of  1870  a  group  of  men  were  at  the 
home  of  John  Willingham  on  Denton  Creek,  near 
Denver,  shoeing  their  horses.  Andy  Jackson  had 
turned  his  horse  loose,  with  the  bridle  and  saddle 
on  it,  to  graze  around  for  a  while.  He  looked  at  the 
horse  occasionally,  but  as  proof  of  the  daring  and 
adventure  of  the  Indian,  while  the  attention  of  the 
men  was  directed  for  a  few  minutes  to  the  work  in 
progress,  an  Indian  slipped  up  unobserved  and  stole 
the  horse.  Rile  Willingham  went  to  look  for  the 
horse  and  saw  the  Indians  disappearing  over  the 
ridge  with  four  horses  belonging  to  the  men  assem- 
bled there.  They  were  all  good  horses,  for  a  fine 
horse  was  the  pride  of  the  sturdy  pioneer 's  heart. 
They  could  plainly  see  Isaac  Wainscot's  horse  graz- 
ing in  the  valley.  Andy  Jackson  ran  to  where  he 
was,  took  the  hobbles  off  the  horse  and  got  on  bare- 
back, riding  like  the  wind  to  the  home  of  John 
Wainscot.  He  saw  Cash  Wainscot  plowing  steers 
in  the  field  near  by.  He  called  to  the  men  in  the 
field  to  get  their  horses  and  come  on,  that  the  In- 
dians were  in ;  then  rushed  on  his  way  to  warn  oth- 
ers. He  started  to  where  a  crowd  of  men  were  herd- 
ing cattle,  to  warn  them  of  the  danger  of  being  sur- 
rounded by  the  Indians.  When  he  got  to  the  corner 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Grisom's  field  he  paused  to 
look  back,  and  found  that  the  Indians  were  follow- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  79 

ing  him.  Realizing  his  danger  he  turned  to  run. 
He  knew  the  speed  of  his  horse,  and  felt  that  the 
Indians  were  gaining  on  him  all  the  time.  He  came 
over  the  hill,  riding  straight  for  John  Wainscot's. 
Some  men  were  at  work  in  a  field  near  by  and  saw 
him  coming.  Mr.  Bob  Savage,  who  was  one  of  the 
men,  called  out,  "Come  on,  boys."  This  frightened 
the  Indians  away. 

The  Indians  now  rode  in  the  direction  of  Dry 
Valley,  stealing  horses  from  Fred  Broadstreet,  Mar- 
sellus  Broadstreet  and  Charlie  Jones.  They  passed 
on  to  the  Freeman  place.  Here  they  stole  Mose 
Johnson's  fine  race  horse,  "Old  Yellow  Boy."  Ike 
Wainscot  and  Cash  McDonald  followed  the  Indians 
for  nearly  a  mile.  The  Indians  had  left  a  horse  in 
their  hurry,  and  the  McDonald  boys  went  out  to 
catch  it.  Jarrold  McDonald,  father  of  Cash,  stayed 
back  on  the  hill  to  watch  and  see  if  the  Indians 
charged  the  boys.  The  boys  secured  the  horse  and 
returned  to  their  father.  Here  a  most  laughable 
(but  at  the  time  serious)  thing  happened.  Dean  Mc- 
Donald, with  ten  or  twelve  other  men,  was  herding 
cattle  near  by.  It  took  very  little  to  make  a  man 
look  like  an  Indian  in  those  days,  and  many  laugh- 
able mistakes  were  made.  So  when  Dean  McDonald 
saw  the  men  on  the  hill  in  the  distance  he  took  them 
to  be  Indians.  He  showed  them  to  the  other  men  and 
they  all,  with  one  accord,  made  a  hurried  departure 
for  camp 


80  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Those  who  had  remained  at  camp  saw  them  com- 
ing, and  believing  them  to  be  Indians  began  to 
make  preparations  for  war.  Those  on  the  hill  saw 
the  first  group  running,  and  thinking  they  had  seen 
the  Indians  coming  around  the  hill  they  at  once 
rode  at  full  speed  in  their  direction.  Those  in  front 
looked  back,  still  believing  their  pursuers  to  be  In- 
dians. They  put  spurs  to  their  horses  and  renewed 
the  race  with  increased  vigor.  One  of  the  party 
glanced  back  and  said,  "Boys,  I  see  a  rusty  old  In- 
dian there  in  front,  and  he  is  ready  to  fight." 

Finally  when  all  parties  reached  camp,  and  they 
discovered  that  they  had  mistaken  friends  for  ene- 
mies ;  explanations  followed  and  they  indulged  in 
a  hearty  laugh,  for  that  was  the  last  seen  of  that 
band  of  Indians. 


BROTHER  AND  SISTER  DEFEND  THEIR  MOTH- 
ER'S HOME  FROM  THE  INDIANS. 

On  a  certain  morning  in  the  fall  of  the  year  Mr. 
Joe  Box  (who  now  lives  near  Forrestburg)  and  his 
brother,  Milo,  were  going  over  to  a  neighbor's  (Mr. 
Keenan)  to  help  gather  corn.  The  Box  family  at 
this  time  were  living  about  five  miles  from  Forrest- 
burg.  Before  leaving  home  that  morning  Joe,  the 
oldest  brother,  called  his  little  ten-year-old  brother 
to  him  and  said,  "Cal,  we  are  going  to  be  gone  to- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  81 

day  and  I  am  going  to  leave  mother  and  the  girls 
in  your  care.  If  the  Indians  come  while  we  are 
gone  I  want  you  to  defend  mother."  With  true 
pioneer  spirit  Cal  replied  that  he  would.  Joe  loaded 
the  rifle  and  placed  it  on  the  rack,  ready  for  use. 

As  the  brothers  waved  good  bye  to  the  little  fel- 
low he  walked  into  the  house,  his  heart  swelling  with 
pride  to  think  his  brother  would  give  him  such  an 
important  charge.  In  the  afternoon  Cal  was  looking 
out  the  door,  when  he  discovered  some  Indians  in 
the  corn  patch  near  by,  trying  to  steal  his  mother's 
horses.  The  family  had  just  been  talking  of  how 
bravely  Mrs.  Trailer  and  her  daughters  had  de- 
fended themselves  from  an  Indian  attack,  when  Cal 
said,  in  an  excited  tone,  "Mother,  I  see  Indians  in 
the  corn  patch.  His  mother,  thinking  his  remark 
was  the  result  of  an  overwrought  imagination,  said, 
"Oh,  you  are  joking,  Cal."  "No,  I'm  not,  mother," 
he  said,  as  he  climbed  up  on  a  chair  and  took  the 
gun  from  the  rack. 

By  this  time  the  mother's  fears  were  thoroughly 
aroused,  and  looking  out  she  saw  several  Indians 
near  the  house.  Cal  stepped  out  in  the  yard  and 
drew  his  gun  on  the  Indians.  The  Indians  were 
wearing  shields  on  their  arms,  which  they  held  be- 
tween them  and  Cal's  gun.  Fortunately  the  trigger 
of  his  gun  failed  to  work,  for  if  he  had  fired  at  the 
Indians  they  would  probably  have  killed  him.  His 
sister,  Belle,  took  down  another  rifle  and  coming 


82  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

out  took  her  stand  by  her  little  brother's  side. 
(Belle  was  only  12  years  old.)  Afterwards  Cal  said 
"Sister  was  calm  and  brave,  but  her  smile  helped 
me  more  than  anything  else."  (This  little  girl  is  now 
Mrs.  Ben  Steadham  of  Forrestburg.)  Mrs.  Box,  the 
mother  of  the  two  children,  was  in  the  house,  scream- 
ing with  fright.  In  the  house  with  her  was  her  little 
daughter,  Pink,  8  years  old.  This  child  had  pres- 
ence of  mind  enough  to  close  and  fasten  the  door. 
Poor  Mrs.  Box  was  so  uneasy  about  the  two  chil- 
dren on  the  outside  that  she  jumped  up  and  down, 
looking  through  a  crack  in  the  house,  until  she 
rubbed  all  the  skin  off  her  nose.  This  amused  the 
children  very  much  after  the  danger  had  passed 
and  they  were  told  how  it  happened.  The  Indians 
did  not  attempt  to  molest  the  family.  Their  main 
object  seemed  to  be  to  steal  the  horses  before  any 
men  arrived.  They  finally  succeeded  in  driving  the 
horses  out  of  the  field,  taking  them  with  them.  Al- 
though Mrs.  Box  knew  they  would  feel  the  loss  of 
their  horses  keenly,  she  was  thankful  that  their 
lives  had  been  spared. 

Later  Mr.  Crede  Roberts  passed  the  house  and 
Mrs.  Box  asked  him  to  go  and  tell  her  sons  of  the 
occurrence.  They  came  home  at  once.  Joe  Box  and 
Mr.  Roberts  followed  the  Indians  until  after  dark. 
It  began  raining  so  hard  that  they  had  to  hold  their 
hats  over  their  guns  to  keep  the  caps  and  powder 
dry.  They  decided  it  was  best  to  return  home,  as 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  83 

they  were  in  great  danger  of  being  surrounded  by 
the  Indians  in  the  fast  gathering  darkness.  Mr. 
Box  recovered  his  stolen  horses  in  about  one  month. 
It  happened  in  this  way :  The  Indians  were  in  dead- 
ly terror  of  the  infantry.  They  called  them  "Walk 
a  Heap. ' '  This  band  of  Indians  who  had  stolen  the 
Box  horses  ran  into  a  company  of  soldiers.  The 
soldiers  were  scouting  for  Indians  when  they  were 
surprised  by  this  band.  The  Indians  fled,  leaving 
some  of  the  horses,  but  next  day,  fearing  the  long 
range  guns  of  the  soldiers,  they  abandoned  the 
entire  herd  and  went  on  foot  through  the  moun- 
tains, hoping  in  this  way  to  avoid  the  soldiers.  The 
soldiers  went  through  the  town  of  Montague  with 
the  captured  horses.  Mr.  Wayburn,  the  first  sheriff 
of  Montague  County,  Colonel  Maynes  and  Uncle 
Johnnie  Morris  recognized  the  brands  on  the  Box 
horses  and  went  to  Captain  Erwin  and  told  him  to 
whom  the  horses  belonged.  The  captain  said:  "If 
the  parties  owning  the  horses  will  be  in  Montague 
County  on  a  certain  Saturday  they  can  have  the 
horses."  When  Saturday  came  Joe  Box  went  to 
Montague  to  claim  his  horses.  When  he  arrived 
there  he  found  the  captain  gone,  and  learned  that  he 
had  refused,  at  the  last,  to  give  up  the  horses,  say- 
ing he  was  going  to  sell  them.  The  injustice  of  such 
an  action  made  Joe  very  indignant,  and  he  told  the 
sheriff  if  his  brothers  came  there  looking  for  him  to 


84  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

tell  them  he  had  started  after  the  soldiers,  and  not  to 
look  for  him  until  they  saw  him  coming. 

Joe  followed  the  trail  of  the  soldiers  until  night. 
Not  being  much  more  than  a  mere  boy,  he  began  to 
get  very  lonesome,  with  nothing  to  eat,  no  place  to 
sleep  and  no  lariat  to  tie  his  horse  with.  When  it 
began  to  get  dark  he  skylighted  a  man  on  a  high 
ridge  in  front  of  him  on  a  horse.  Knowing  that  if 
he  were  an  Indian  he  would  be  likely  to  get  him  any- 
way, and  if  he  were  a  white  man,  he  wanted  to  see 
him,  Joe  rode  on  toward  him.  In  approaching  the 
man  he  discovered  a  band  of  men,  who  had  stopped 
in  a  valley  near  by.  He  didn't  know  whether  they 
were  Indians  or  not,  but  he  had  lost  the  soldiers7 
trail,  and  he  decided  to  go  to  them,  as  he  felt  sure 
they  had  already  seen  him.  As  he  drew  near  he 
could  see  a  tent  and  heard  a  man  say,  "I  guess  -that 
is  the  man  who  owns  these  horses."  Sure  enough, 
the  men  proved  to  be  the  soldiers  he  had  been  fol- 
lowing all  day.  He  rode  up  to  the  camp  and  told 
the  men  why  he  was  there,  at  the  same  time  describ- 
ing the  brand  of  his  horses.  One  of  the  soldiers  said, 
"We  have  them."  They  asked  him  if  his  horse  was 
not  tired,  and  invited  him  to  get  down  and  rest.  Joe 
asked  one  of  the  soldiers  to  tell  Captain  Erwin  he 
was  there,  why  he  had  come  and  that  he  would  like 
to  see  him. 

The  captain  sent  him  word  that  he  was  engaged 
in  a  game  of  cards  and  couldn't  see  him  until  morn- 
ing, but  to  issue  him  rations,  give  him  a  bed  and 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  85 

take  care  of  his  horse.  Joe  slept  with  a  soldier  that 
night,  using  his  saddle  for  a  pillow  and  with  the 
stake  rope  at  his  head. 

In  the  night  Joe  heard  his  horse  snort.  Being  a 
Spanish  horse  he  was  a  splendid  guard.  Joe  peeped 
from  under  his  blanket  and  saw  a  man  standing  be- 
tween him  and  his  horse.  He  looked  first  at  Joe  and 
then  at  the  horse  and  cautiously  picked  up  the  rope 
with  the  intention  of  leading  the  horse  away.  Joe 
raised  up  with  gun  in  hand.  The  man  hastily 
dropped  the  rope  and  ran  off  through  a  lake  of 
water  near  by,  splashing  the  water  as  he  went.  Joe 
was  never  sure  whether  the  man  was  an  Indian  or 
not.  He  did  not  arouse  anyone,  but  again  lay  down 
upon  his  pallet.  The  next  day  was  Sunday.  After 
breakfast  Joe  held  a  conversation  with  Captain  Er- 
win.  He  told  him  how  anxious  his  mother  must 
be  at  his  continued  absence,  and  how  badly  they 
needed  their  horses  at  home.  He  then  asked  permis- 
sion to  take  his  horses  and  go.  After  listening  to 
his  story,  the  captain  said:  "I  sympathize  with 
your  mother,  but  I  have  let  one  of  my  men  ride  one 
of  your  horses.  I  can't  set  him  down  here  on  foot. 
If  you  will  go  with  me  to  headquarters  I'll  turn 
the  horses  over  to  you." 

He  ordered  his  men  to  mount.  The  next  order  was 
to  march.  There  was  nothing  left  for  Joe  to  do  but 
go  with  them.  They  reached  headquarters  that  day, 
and  Joe  remained  with  them  until  the  next  morning. 


86  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

The  horses  were  turned  over  to  him  free  of  charge. 
He  had  his  horse  saddled  by  daylight  and  ready  to 
start.  He  waited  for  the  sun  to  rise  before  starting, 
so  that  he  would  know  which  direction  to  take. 
There  were  no  roads,  and  he  had  never  been  in  that 
part  of  the  country  before,  and  he  had  to  take  the 
sun  as  a  guide.  The  soldiers  gave  him  a  lunch  to 
take  with  him,  but  he  never  stopped  to  eat  it  until 
he  reached  Queen's  Peak,  which  was  at  sundown. 
Hastily  eating  it  he  started  on  to  Montague,  ten 
miles  away. 

Joe  had  one  little  scare  that  day.  He  had  seen 
what  he  took  to  be  a  band  of  Indians.  He  thought 
they  were  traveling  like  they  intended  to  meet  him. 
There  was  no  choice  in  the  matter,  so  he  went  on. 
But  he  had  his  trusty  rifle  ready  to  fire.  When  he 
reached  the  creek  where  he  first  saw  them  he  failed 
to  find  any  Indian  signs,  so  he  concluded  it  was  a 
herd  of  buffalo  that  he  had  seen.  When  Joe  reached 
Montague  he  heard  from  home.  Some  of  the  neigh- 
bors were  there  attending  district  court.  They  told 
him  his  mother  and  family  were  well  and  tried  to 
get  him  to  stay  all  night,  but  he  said,  "No,  I  must 
see  mother  before  I  sleep."  After  resting  his  horses 
for  a  while  he  started  for  home.  He  reached  home 
at  1  o'clock  that  night,  having  ridden  nearly  one 
hundred  miles.  He  found  his  mother  walking  the 
yard,  consumed  with  anxiety  and  grief  over  her  ab- 
sent boy.  She  clasped  him  to  her  breast,  as  she 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  87 

wept  tears  of  joy  over  his  return.  The  little  chil- 
dren heard  her  and  they  came  out  to  add  their  joy- 
ous welcome  to  hers. 

His  mother  told  him  that  they  had  decided  that  he 
had  been  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  that  his  brother, 
Milo,  was  out  then  with  a  party  of  friends  searching 
for  him.  When  she  told  him  this  Joe  fired  two  shots 
from  his  gun,  which  sounded  long  and  loud.  This 
was  to  let  the  searching  party  know  that  he  had  re- 
turned. 

After  he  had  put  up  the  horses  he  went  into  the 
house  and  found  his  mother  preparing  him  a  good 
hot  supper.  He  said,  "Why,  mother,  I  didn't  want 
you  to  cook  supper  for  me  at  this  hour  of  the 
night.'7  His  mother  laid  her  hand  tenderly  on  his 
head  as  she  said,  in  tender  tones,  "Nothing  is  too 
good  for  my  boy."  When  the  meal  was  ready  the 
family  gathered  around  the  table,  each  one  striving 
to  pass  him  something,  while  they  plied  him  with 
questions  about  his  trip. 

The-mother  shuddered  as  she  thought  of  the  many 
dangers  that  could  have  overtaken  her  boy,  and 
prayed  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving  for  his  safe  return. 

PATE  OF  KEENAN  AND  PASCHAL  FAMILIES, 
WINTER  OF  1870. 

Keenan's  Branch,  two  and  one-half  miles  south- 
west of  Forrestburg,  near  the  Little  Berry  White 


88  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

place,  is  a  spot  of  historic  interest  to  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Montague  County.  It  was  here  the  Keen- 
an  family  lived,  in  their  modest  log  cabin.  Mrs. 
Paschal  and  her  children  made  their  home  with 
them.  With  the  thrift  and  economy  characteristic 
of  the  pioneer  they  managed  to  provide  the  neces- 
saries of  life  for  the  family.  Mr.  Keenan,  after  much 
deliberation  as  to  the  danger  of  making  a  trip  in 
such  troublous  Indian  times,  decided  to  make  a  jour- 
ney to  Arkansas  for  apples  to  sell.  He  knew  he 
could  realize  a  good  profit  from  his  sales,  as  few, 
if  any,  apples  were  grown  in  Montague  County  at 
this  time.  Most  unfortunately  Mr.  Keenan  was 
blind,  and  because  of  this  affliction  he  was  always 
accompanied  by  one  of  his  daughters.  He  prepared 
to  make  this  journey  in  an  ox  wagon.  He  was  not 
molested  in  any  way,  making  the  journey  there  and 
back  in  perfect  safety;  but  upon  his  return,  the 
first  news  he  learned  was  the  report  of  the  terrible 
death  of  his  wife  and  children.  It  happened  in 
this  way: 

It  was  at  the  close  of  a  winter's  day.  Mrs.  Keen- 
an had  done  the  chores  for  the  night,  while  Mrs. 
Paschal  prepared  the  supper  for  the  family.  After 
partaking  of  their  meagre  meal  the  women  and 
children  gathered  about  the  fireside,  the  children 
laughing  and  talking,  as  children  will.  Mrs.  Keenan 
and  Mrs.  Paschal  talked  for  some  time  of  the  work 
of  spinning  and  weaving  they  had  accomplished  that 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  89 

day.  Occasionally  there  was  an  anxious  note  in  Mrs. 
Keenan  ?s  voice  as  she  spoke  of  the  possible  dangers 
that  might  overtake  her  blind  husband  and  daugh- 
ter on  their  trip.  Finally  the  children  became 
sleepy  and  were  tucked  into  bed,  and  Mrs.  Paschal 
remarked  that  she  was  so  tired  she  believed  she 
would  retire.  But  industrious  Mrs.  Keenan  sat  up 
knitting  long  after  the  others  were  sound  asleep. 
She  was  possessed  by  a  feeling  of  uneasiness.  Her 
nervousness  increased  as  she  remembered  that  it 
was  the  time  of  the  moon  for  the  dreaded  Indians 
to  make  their  usual  raids  into  the  county.  She 
listened  intently — alert  to  every  little  noise — but  she 
could  hear  nothing  save  the  sound  of  an  ox  bell 
worn  by  oxen  grazing  on  the  grass  near  by,  and  the 
tinkle  of  the  cow  bells  on  her  own  cows  in  a  lot 
close  to  the  house.  Finally  even  these  noises  ceased. 
The  quiet  stillness  reassured  her,  and  she,  too,  re- 
tired. Scarcely  had  she  done  so,  and  before  she  had 
time  to  go  to  sleep,  the  door,  which  was  only  fast- 
ened with  a  rope,  was  opened  and  an  Indian  thrust 
in  his  head.  The  noise  aroused  Mrs.  Paschal  and 
she  began  to  scream  loudly.  The  Indians,  for  there 
were  more  than  one,  beat  her  with  a  club  and  thrust 
a  lance  into  her  body,  and  otherwise  mutilated  her. 
Mrs.  Paschal  and  all  of  her  children  except  two 
were  killed  outright.  Mrs.  Keenan  was  shot  with  an 
arrow  before  she  could  get  out  of  bed.  The  Indians 
also  scalped  her.  A  baby  and  a  little  girl  three 


90  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

years  old  were  in  bed  with  their  mother,  Mrs.  Pas- 
chal. The  girl  was  struck  in  the  breast  with  a  lance 
and  left  for  dead.  She  afterwards  recovered,  but 
still  carries  the  scar  from  the  Indian's  blow.  She 
is  now  Mrs.  Sweeten  "Williams  of  Denton  Creek. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  Indians  failed  to  see  the 
baby,  as  it  was  left  unharmed.  In  the  excitement 
following  the  coming  of  the  Indians  little  Ben  Pas- 
chal slipped  out  of  the  door  and  ran  down  a  string 
of  fence,  lying  down  in  hiding  until  all  the  noise 
ceased,  when  he  ventured  to  return  to  the  house. 
Here  he  found  a  sight  that  would  chill  any  heart. 
Poor,  suffering  Mrs.  Keenan  called  him  to  her,  and 
in  tender  tones  advised  him  what  to  do.  "Keep  a 
close  watch,  my  child,  and  if  you  see  the  Indians 
returning  take  your  wounded  little  sister  and  the 
baby  and  crawl  under  the  puncheon  floor.  No  mat- 
ter what  happens,  do  not  make  a  sound.  Just  let 
them  finish  killing  me,  then  they  will  leave,  and  you 
will  be  spared." 

The  next  morning  she  sent  him  to  a  neighbor's  by 
the  name  of  Ben  Hodges,  to  tell  him  of  their  hor- 
rible plight.  Before  he  got  back  a  party  of  men 
passed  that  way  and  becoming  suspicious  of  the 
general  appearance  of  things  proceeded  to  the  house. 
They  had  found  the  ground  covered  with  feathers. 
They  suspected  that  it  was  the  work  of  Indians,  as  it 
was  their  custom  to  rip  open  the  beds  and  scatter 
the  feathers  in  order  to  get  the  cloth. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  91 

Upon  entering  the  house  they  found  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  occupants  lying  about,  and  Mrs.  Keen- 
an  in  a  half  fainting  condition.  She  was  suffering 
intensely  from  her  wounds.  Mrs.  Keenan  and  also 
the  dead  bodies  were  removed  to  the  home  of  Mr. 
Roberts  to  be  prepared  for  burial.  However,  Mrs. 
Keenan  lived  twelve  days  after  she  was  scalped, 
suffering  the  most  intense  agony.  Her  constant 
prayer  was  that  she  might  live  to  see  her  husband 
once  more.  But  her  prayer  was  not  granted.  She 
died  before  he  returned. 

Joe  F.  Box,  Rufus  Roberts,  Bart  and  Wash  Trailer 
rode  all  one  day  trying  to  get  material  with  which 
to  make  Mrs.  Keenan 's  coffin,  but  did  not  succeed  in 
getting  it.  At  last  they  were  forced  to  carry  planks, 
which  were  sixteen  feet  in  length,  from  an  old  va- 
cant house  on  the  John  Harviff  place.  They  took 
the  planks  from  the  floor  and  carried  them  on  horse- 
back three  and  one-half  miles,  to  the  home  of  Mr. 
Singletary,  where  the  coffin  was  made.  Mr.  Single- 
tary  worked  all  night  on  the  coffin,  the  men  going 
back  and  forth  for  the  lumber. 

Mr.  Joe  Box,  who  was  carrying  a  sixteen-foot 
plank,  was  riding  a  Spanish  pony.  It  became  fright- 
ened and  ran  away  with  him.  In  the  darkness  he 
became  separated  from  his  companions  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  he  found  them  again.  He  was 
afraid  to  call  them  for  fear  of  attracting  the  In- 
dians. He  finally  reached  Mr.  Singletary 's,  still  car- 


92  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

rying  the  plank  that  he  had  started  out  with.  The 
coffin  was  ready  by  the  next  morning  and  Mrs. 
Keenan  was  buried  in  the  family  graveyard  near 
her  home.  The  house  in  which  Mrs.  Keenan  and 
the  Paschals  were  attacked  by  the  Indians  was 
made  of  hewn  logs,  was  about  sixteen  feet  square, 
had  only  one  door  and  one  window.  This  window 
had  no  glass  panes,  but  closed  with  a  wooden  shut- 
ter. Moccasin  tracks  were  found  near  this  window, 
and  it  was  supposed  that  the  Indians  watched 
through  the  partly  open  board  shutter  until  the 
women  and  children  retired. 

The  Indians  had  a  large  drove  of  horses  with 
them,  and  succeeded  in  making  their  way  out  of 
the  county  without  being  overtaken.  There  is  little 
or  nothing  left  to  remind  one  of  this  sad  tragedy. 
Today,  if  you  should  visit  that  portion  of  Montague 
County,  you  would  find  cultivated  fields  and  homes 
of  peace  and  plenty,  where  neighbors  go  to  and  fro 
without  fear,  and  little  children  play  in  the  sunshine 
and  gather  wild  flowers  in  the  wood's  with  no 
thought  of  danger.  Schools  and  churches  are  dotted 
here  and  there,  for  wherever  the  white  man  builds 
his  home,  evidences  of  culture  and  progress  mark 
his  footsteps. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  93 


EASTER   SUNDAY,    1871. 

A  family  by  the  name  of  Johnson  lived  on  the  Mc- 
Farland  place  on  Denton  Creek.  They  had  two 
sons,  "Will  and  Arch.  Arch  was  a  bright  little  fel- 
low, very  much  liked  in  the  neighborhood.  One  of 
the  neighbors,  Mr.  Fred  Broadstreet,  who  lived  on 
Dry  Valley,  had  made  Arch  a  present  of  a  pig.  He 
had  been  wanting  to  go  after  it  for  some  time,  and 
persuaded  his  mother  to  allow  him  to  go  on  Easter 
Sunday.  His  older  brother,  "Will,  was  to  accompany 
him,  arid  their  mother  insisted  that  they  return  home 
early.  She  bade  them  good  bye  with  many  misgiv- 
ings, for  she  was  always  in  dread  of  the  Indians. 

They  reached  the  Broadstreet  home  in  safety,  and 
soon  started  to  return  to  their  own  home.  Little 
Arch  was  carrying  the  pig  in  a  sack.  He  was  very 
proud  of  his  possession,  and  as  he  trudged  along 
by  his  brother's  side  his  whole  conversation  was 
about  the  pig.  They  had  not  gone  far  until  they 
were  confronted  by  three  mounted  Indians,  heav- 
ily armed.  Will  drew  his  gun,  at  the  same  time 
saying,  "If  you  don't  let  me  alone  I  will  shoot  you." 
He  told  Arch  they  would  catch  him  if  he  didn't 
drop  the  pig.  But  from  fear,  or  some  unexplained 
reason,  he  still  clung  to  the  pig.  One  of  the  cruel, 
heartless  Indians  deliberately  took  aim  at  the  little 
f ellow,  killing  him  instantly.  They  then  turned  and 


94  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

fled  from  the  neighborhood  without  doing  further 
harm  to  the  settlement. 


STORY  OF  BEALE  AND  MAXEY  FAMILIES. 

In  the  summer  of  1872  several  families  were  liv- 
ing together  at  John  Stroud's  for  protection  from 
the  Indians.  This  was  known  as  the  "Stroud  Settle- 
ment/7 and  was  about  five  miles  southeast  of  Mon- 
tague, at  the  head  of  Denton  Creek.  These  families 
were  living  in  camps  and  other  shelters  until  they 
could  build  houses.  Some  of  them  had  picket  fences 
around  their  camps.  The  families  living  here  were 
that  of  Jonathan  Stroud,  Tom  Savage,  Will  Davis, 
Jet  Davis,  Jess  Maxey,  Joe  Maxey  and  Mr.  Beale. 

Measles  broke  out  in  the  company,  and  nearly  all 
of  the  smaller  children  and  some  of  the  grown  up 
people  died  from  this  disease,  which  was  in  a  most 
violent  form. 

Jess  Maxey  had  been  freighting  and  as  a  conse- 
quence had  not  been  at  home  in  some  time.  When 
he  returned  to  find  the  large  number  of  deaths  that 
had  resulted  from  the  epidemic  of  measles  he  be- 
came very  much  alarmed  for  fear  his  three  children 
would  be  stricken  with  the  dread  disease.  He  and 
his  father  and  the  Beale  family  moved  at  once  to 
the  old  Rice  place,  about  one-half  mile  distant, 
hoping  by  this  that  their  children  would  escape  the. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  95 

malady.    It  meant,  however,  that  they  were  only  to 
meet  a  worse  fate. 

In  a  few  days  the  Indians  added  another  terrible 
deed  to  the  history  of  their  fiendish  cruelties  in 
Montague  County,  and  the  Beale  and  Maxey  families 
were  the  victims.  Mr.  Beale  and  Mr.  Maxey  went 
to  Montague  on  business,  leaving  Mr.  Maxey  ?s  aged 
father  as  a  protection  for  the  women  and  children. 
Mr.  Maxey,  with  his  two  grandchildren,  a  small 
boy  and  girl,  and  two  of  the  Beale  children  were 
at  the  wood  pile.  The  good  old  man  was  chopping 
wood  while  the  children  were  playing  together  and 
gathering  the  chips.  A  band  of  Indians  slipped  up 
on  them,  taking  them  unawares.  The  women  dis- 
covered the  presence  of  the  Indians  first,  and  Mrs. 
Beale  called  frantically  to  them  to  come  into  the 
house.  The  little  ones  seeing  the  Indians  became  so 
badly  frightened  they  ran  to  the  corner  of  the  fence 
and  huddled  up  close  together.  They  were  imme- 
diately captured  by  the  Indians.  They  killed  the 
two  Beale  children  on  the  spot  with  a  gun,  but  their 
mother  was  not  sure  of  it  at  this  time.  Mrs.  Maxey 
was  standing  in  the  door  with  her  baby  in  her  arms, 
calling  to  the  children,  when  an  Indian  fired  at  her. 
The  shot  struck  the  baby  in  the  head,  killing  it  in- 
stantly. The  same  bullet  penetrated  her  arm.  The 
women,  when  they  saw  they  could  not  save  their 
children,  ran  in  and  closed  the  front  door.  Mrs. 
Beale  was  slightly  wounded  by  a  bullet  that  was 


96  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

fired  through  the  door.  After  this  the  women  ran 
out  the  back  door  and  on  into  the  woods,  where 
they  remained  in  hiding  until  the  return  of  their 
husbands,  late  that  afternoon.  The  poor  wounded 
mother  carried  the  dead  baby  with  her,  and  all  day 
the  two  grief-stricken,  terror-stricken  women  lay 
there,  beset  by  a  thousand  fears. 

When  their  husbands  returned  and  they  went 
back  to  the  house,  to  add  to  their  horror  and  grief, 
they  found  the  poor  old  father  lying  dead  in  the 
yard  and  the  two  little  Beale  children,  who  had 
so  lately  been  busy  at  play,  all  unconscious  of  dan- 
ger, lying  dead  near  the  wood  pile. 

The  two  Maxey  children  had  been  captured  and 
taken  away,  the  bereaved  parents  being  left  to  im- 
agine their  fate. 

Three  years  had  passed  away  and  still  the  sad- 
dened parents  had  heard  no  news  of  their  children, 
in  spite  of  all  their  efforts  to  find  some  trace  of 
them. 

One  day  Mr.  Bob  Savage,  one  of  our  oldest  set- 
tlers, who  lives  on  Denton  Creek,  was  in  Montague 
and  overheard  some  people  talking  about  a  little 
boy  they  had  heard  about  in  Fort  Sill  whom  the 
Indians  had  stolen.  The  description  of  the  child 
reminded  Mr.  Savage  so  much  of  Volley  Maxey  that 
he  questioned  the  people  closely.  As  he  listened 
to  their  story  he  became  more  and  more  convinced 
that  the  child  was  Mr.  Jess  Maxey 's  son.  He  im- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  97 

mediately  went  to  the  father  and  mother  and  told 
them  about  it.  Their  hopes  ran  high.  The  father 
at  once  began  negotiations,  through  the  government, 
and  succeeded  in  getting  back  his  long  lost  son. 
Imagine  the  joy  of  these  parents  at  once  more  be- 
holding their  boy.  (Many  times  has  Mrs.  Maxey 
been  heard  to  say  she  could  never  express  her  grat- 
itude toward  Mr.  Savage  for  being  the  means  of 
the  little  son's  being  restored  to  her.)  Mrs.  Maxey 
never  met  Mr.  Savage  after  this  without  shedding 
tears  of  joy.  Long  years  have  passed;  the  whole 
lives  of  Mr.  Maxey  and  his  wife  have  been  saddened 
by  the  fate  of  their  little  daughter.  She  was  a 
beautiful  child,  with  winning  manner.  Volley  said 
he  never  really  knew  what  became  of  his  little  sister. 
She  had  been  sick,  and  the  journey  soon  tired  her 
weakened  little  body.  She  was  crying,  and  he 
said  the  Indians  took  her  out  in  a  thicket  by  the 
roadside,  and 'he  believed  they  killed  her,  as  that 
was  the  last  time  he  ever  saw  her.  Where  they 
threw  her  little  body  the  wind  sighs  mournfully 
through  the  thicket ;  the  birds  she  loved  so  well  sing 
a  refrain  in  the  boughs  near  by,  and  the  ground 
round  about  is  carpeted  with  the  flowers  her  little 
fingers  had  once  delighted  to  gather. 


98  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

CHARGING  VICTORIA  PEAK,  SUMMER  OF  1870. 

On  a  calm  summer  day  in  1870,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  Indians  charged  the  fort,  at  what  is 
commonly  known  as  Queen's  Peak,  against  thirteen 
men.  No  one  in  the  fort  was  hurt  but  a  Dutchman, 
who  was  hiding  up  a  chimney,  was  badly  fright- 
ened. Two  unknown  men,  who  were  with  a  party 
headed  for  Kansas  with  a  herd  of  cattle,  left  the  herd 
and  started  to  the  fort  to  ask  some  information. 
They  rode  right  into  the  Indians,  who  had  been 
storming  the  fort,  and  both  men  were  slain.  Some 
of  the  men  from  the  fort  were  out  with  a  herd  of 
cattle,  but  fortunately  they  did  not  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  Indians.  Two  negroes  on  their  way 
to  the  fort  were  killed  on  this  same  day  by  the  In- 
dians. The  Indians  called  negroes  buffalo  soldiers, 
because  of  their  color  and  because  of  their  kinky 
hair.  On  this  same  day  Boone  Kilgore,  a  boy  12 
years  of  age,  was  herding  cattle  alone,  when  he  saw 
the  Indians  approaching.  The  Indians  appreciated 
a  good  rider,  and  often  a  small  boy  owed  his  life 
to  the  fact  that  he  was  an  expert  horseman.  They 
delighted  to  capture  a  boy  who  understood  riding, 
because  he  would  be  useful  to  them  in  breaking  wild 
horses.  They  would  often  take  great  pains  to  train 
a  boy  of  this  kind  in  all  the  Indian  sports,  and  make 
him  of  service  to  them.  As  a  rule  they  treated  a 
captive  of  this  kind  fairly  well. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  99 

Boone  Kilgore  was  an  expert  horseman,  which 
the  Indians  at  once  discovered,  and  they  determined 
to  capture  him  alive.  Boone  was  riding  a  splendid 
horse,  and  being  familiar  with  the  crossings  and 
trails  the  courageous  little  fellow  would  have  made 
his  escape,  but  the  Indians  circled  around  him  and 
cut  off  his  only  hope  of  escape.  They  came  nearer 
and  nearer,  and  finally  an  Indian  drew  near  enough 
to  deal  him  a  terrific  blow  on  the  head,  knocking 
him  off  his  horse.  They  captured  him  and  the  horse 
and  went  on  their  way.  His  father  witnessed  the 
whole  scene  from  a  distance  and  was  so  overcome 
with  grief  and  rage  it  was  with  difficulty  that  his 
friends  restrained  him  from  following  the  band 
alone.  Finally  they  convinced  him  that  their  small 
number  would  amount  to  nothing  against  such  great 
odds.  The  Indians  kept  Boone  for  two  or  three 
months  at  Fort  Sill.  His  father  hearing  of  this  went 
there,  and  with  the  help  of  the  government  bought 
his  son  back. 


INDIAN  MASQUERADES  AS  WOMAN. 

It  was  customary  in  early  days  for  the  women  to 
have  what  was  called  "the  wash  place."  This  was 
usually  near  some  spring,  as  close  to  the  house  as 
possible.  Some,  not  having  washboards,  laid  their 
garments  on  a  rude  bench  and  "battled"  them. 


100  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

That  is,  they  had  a  smooth  paddle  and  beat  them. 
When  the  washing  process  was  finished  the  clothes 
were  spread  out  on  the  bushes  near  by  to  dry.  It 
was  on  a  certain  day  in  the  winter  of  1867  that  a 
lone  Indian,  going  by  a  woman's  "wash  place,"  saw 
the  clothes  drying  on  the  bushes.  A  bright  thought 
entered  his  cunning,  treacherous  brain.  He  would 
put  on  the  woman's  dress  and  bonnet  and  by  that 
means  he  would  be  enabled  to  make  his  way  through 
the  country  to  the  band  from  which  he  had  strayed 
away,  without  harm  to  himself.  Or,  better  still,  it 
might  permit  him  the  fiendish  pleasure  of  walking 
up  on  some  unprotected  woman  and  her  children 
and  killing  them  before  they  had  time  to  suspect 
his  identity.  Filled  with  this  thought,  he  sallied 
bravely  forth,  dressed  in  woman's  garb.  He  had 
his  bow  and  arrow  with  him,  only  half  concealed 
by  the  folds  of  the  dress  he  was  wearing.  He  might 
have  carried  out  his  plans,  but  John  McDaniel  hap- 
pened to  be  coming  that  way  and  caught  a  glimpse 
of  his  face,  and  saw  the  bow  and  arrow  he  was 
carrying.  He  quickly  stepped  back  into  the  brush, 
unseen  by  the  Indian.  He  waited  until  he  passed 
by,  then  sprang  out  and  clutched  him  from  behind. 
Although  hampered  by  the  dress  and  taken  by  sur- 
prise the  Indian  fought  desperately  and  a  mighty 
struggle  ensued.  Mr.  McDaniel  was  armed  with  a 
butcher  knife,  which  the  Indian,  with  all  his 
strength,  endeavored  to  pull  through  his  hand,  but 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  101 

the  hardy  frontierman's  strength  was  more  than  a 
match  for  him  and  he  finally  slew  the  Indian  with 
the  butcher  knife.  He  scalped  him  and  tacked  the 
scalp,  together  with  the  bow  and  quiver,  on  a  board, 
and  hung  the  board  in  his  smoke  house.  Shortly 
after  this  a  band  of  Indians  passed  that  way,  and 
it  was  always  thought  saw  the  scalp  of  this  Indian. 
Such  a  sight  always  made  them,  if  possible,  more 
bloodthirsty  than  ever. 


INDIANS   ATTACK   LEE   HOME   ON   WHITE'S 
PRAIRIE. 

In  1872  the  Lee  family  was  living  on  what  was 
known  as  the  "Old  Pickett  Ranch,"  on  the  borders 
of  Montague  and  Jack  Counties.  The  good  old  man 
was  sitting  just  inside  the  door  one  day,  reading 
his  Bible.  As  he  meditated  upon  the  word  of  God, 
and  of  the  great  comfort  he  received  from  reading 
this  sacred  book,  thoughts  of  Indian  dangers  faded 
from  his  mind.  "While  he  was  thus  engaged  a  band 
of  Indians  stealthily  surrounded  the  house  and  left 
no  way  for  escape.  Their  first  act  was  to  murder 
Mr.  Lee,  then  killed  and  scalped  his  wife  and  one 
daughter.  The  Indians  took  the  two  smaller  girls 
and  one  little  boy  away  with  them  as  captives.  The 
children  were  afterwards  bought  back  by  friends 
and  relatives. 


102  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

On  their  way  home  from  the  reservation  they 
stopped  and  spent  the  night  with  Mrs.  Chesley  Mar- 
lett,  a  pioneer  mother  of  this  county. 


"SAT  ANT  A"  AND  "BIG  TREE." 

Satanta  was  a  Kiowa  Indian  chief  who  was  held 
in  much  dread  by  the  white  settlers.  He  is  described 
as  being  of  tall  and  commanding  appearance ;  every 
inch  the  typical  Indian  warrior.  In  the  various 
councils  in  which  he  sat  Satanta 's  eloquence  gained 
for  him  the  sobriquet  of  "The  Orator  of  the  Plains." 
He  was  one  of  the  original  signers  of  the  "Medi- 
cine Lodge  Treaty"  of  1867,  by  which  his  tribe  con- 
sented to  go  on  a  reservation.  Big  Tree  was  an- 
other Kiowa  Indian  chief,  who  figured  conspicuously 
in  different  raids  made  by  the  Indians  upon  the 
white  people.  In  the  spring  of  1871  a  large  band  of 
Indians,  led  by  Chief  Satanta,  Chief  Big  Tree  and 
Chief  Satance  attacked  a  government  train  en 
route  from  Jacksboro  to  Fort  Griffin,  in  Shackleford 
County,  to  deliver  flour  to  the  United  States  troops 
stationed  there.  The  expedition  was  in  charge  of 
Captain  Julian  Field  of  Mansfield,  Tarrant  County. 
This  train  of  wagons  was  said  to  have  been  drawn 
by  thirty-six  strong  mules.  "When  within  a  few 
miles  of  where  the  town  of  Graham,  in  Young 
County,  now  stands  the  train  was  attacked  by  this 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  103 

band  of  Kiowa  Indians.  It  is  told  that  all  of  the 
drivers  but  two  were  slain  and  the  wagons  burned. 
The  Indians  took  the  mules  with  them  to  the  reser- 
vation near  Fort  Sill.  This  incident,  while  it  did 
not  occur  in  Montague  County,  was  near  enough 
to  strike  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  women  and  chil- 
dren, some  )of  the  men  who  were  slain  having 
friends  in  this  county. 

Not  many  hours  before  the  attack  recorded  hap- 
pened, General  W.  T.  Sherman  marched  along  the 
same  route,  on  a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  forts  along 
the  frontier,  and  narrowly  escaped  coming  in  con- 
tact with  this  same  band  of  Indians.  He  was  ac- 
companied as  far  as  Eed  River  by  Mr.  Bud  Morris 
of  Montague.  When  night  came  on  Mr.  Morris 
camped  on  this  side  of  the  river  and  General  Sher- 
man crossed  over  to  the  opposite  bank.  The  river 
•rose  in  the  night,  and  as  there  was  no  ferry  Mr. 
Morris  ,had  to  abandon  his  trip  to  Fort  Sill,  Genera] 
Sherman  going  on.  General  Sherman,  in  the  mean- 
time, had  heard  of  the  massacre  of  the  government 
train.  His  indignation  was  aroused  and  he  deter- 
mined to  make  a  thorough  investigation,  and  sent 
General  McKinzie  to  the  scene  of  the  killing  to  ob- 
tain the  facts  in  the  case.  The  frontier  had  not  had 
sufficient  protection  from  the  Indians,  and  a  number 
of  Jacksboro  citizens  decided  that  this  would  be  an 
opportune  time  to  lay  before  the  general  the  sit- 
uation as  it  actually  was.  He  was  much  impressed 


104  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

by  what  they  told  him.  The  result  was  when  General 
Sherman  arrived  at  Fort  Sill  he  immediately  began 
a  search  for  the  guilty  parties.  From  the  Indian 
agent  he  learned  the  names  of  the  tribes  who  had 
participated  in  the  killing  of  the  teamsters.  The 
Indians  were  overheard  boasting  of  what  they  had 
done.  As  soon  as  he  had  sufficient  proof  of  their 
guilt  General  Sherman  ordered  the  arrest  of  Chief 
Big  Tree,  Chief  Satance  and  Chief  Satanta.  A  fight 
with  these  Indians  was  narrowly  averted.  When 
Satance  was  arrested  he  rushed  toward  one  of  the 
officers,  flourishing  a  Bowie  knife.  Satance  was  in- 
stantly killed  and  Big  Tree  and  Satanta  were  taken 
to  Jacksboro  for  trial.  They  were  tried,  convicted 
and  sentenced  to  be  hanged,  but  their  sentences  were 
afterwards  commuted  to  life  imprisonment. 

After  these  Indian  chiefs  had  been  taken  to  the 
penitentiary,  to  serve  their  terms,  a  treaty  was  en- 
tered into  by  the  Government  and  the  Indian  tribes 
living  on  the  Ft.  Sill  reservation.  The  Government 
of  Texas  also  signed  this  treaty.  The  treaty  pro- 
vided that  every  Indian  was  to  be  placed  on  parole 
and  must  surely  answer  roll  call  every  morning — 
and  if  they  violated  this  parole  they  would  im- 
mediately be  taken  as  prisoners  by  the  government 
authorities  and  carried  to  Florida.  This  treaty  was 
the  means  of  restoring  confidence  and  courage  along 
the  entire  frontier;  as  time  went  on  the  settlers 
found  their  confidence  was  not  misplaced,  for  only 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  105 

a  few  raids  occurred  after  this.  After  the  treaty 
between  the  government  and  the  Indian  tribes,  Gov- 
ernor Davis  pardoned  Chief  Satanca  and  Chief  Big 
Tree  on  condition  that  they  return  to  their  reserva- 
tion and  cease  to  molest  the  white  people.  This 
they  readily  agreed  to  do.  It  is  said  they  had  not 
been  back  on  their  reservation  two  weeks  before 
old  Chief  Satanta  went  on  the  warpath  again.  He 
was  arrested  and  sent  back  to  the  penitentiary  at 
Huntsville.  Mr.  Bud  Morris,  of  Montague,  was 
visiting  there  and  called  on  Satanta.  Mr.  Morris 
described  him  as  being  the  most  magnificent  speci- 
men of  physical  manhood  he  had  ever  seen.  He 
talked  with  the  chief  for  quite  a  while.  Satanta 
asked  him  if  he  thought  the  authorities  would  ever 
let  him  out  of  prison  again.  Mr.  Morris  replied 
that  he  didn't  think  they  ever  would  allow  him 
his  liberty  again.  Soon  after  this  Satanta  com- 
mitted suicide  by  throwing  himself  from  a  balcony 
of  the  penitentiary.  After  all  his  wickedness  it  is 
sad  to  think  how  his  wild,  untrained  nature  must 
have  longed  intensely  for  the  companionship  of  his 
people,  for  the  freedom  of  the  chase  and  for  the 
pure  air  of  the  rolling  prairies.  Bather  than  be 
deprived  of  these  pleasures  he  decided  to  journey 
to  the  " Happy  Hunting  Ground"  of  his  Fathers. 
Big  Tree,  the  Kiowa  Indian  chief,  who  was  par- 
doned with  Satanta,  did  not  violate  his  parole.  He 
was  more  easily  subdued.  Perhaps  he  was  as  anx- 


106  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

ions  to  wreak  vengeance  upon  the  white  people  as 
Chief  Satanta,  but  thoughts  of  the  rigid  prison 
discipline  to  which  he  had  been  subjected  and  the 
dread  of  dreary  confinement  within  the  prison  walls 
caused  him  to  become  submissive,  outwardly  at 
least,  to  the  white  man's  law.  Big  Tree  afterwards 
became  a  Christian,  and  has  led  a  quiet  peaceable 
life  from  that  time  on.  In  1912  he  was  still  living. 
His  home  was  in  Mountain  View,  Oklahoma.  He  is 
described  as  a  very  large  man,  who  weighs  nearly 
four  hundred  pounds. 


THE    INDIAN    CROSSING— WHERE    THE    IN- 
DIANS CAME  INTO,  AND  WENT  OUT 
OF  THE  STATE. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Hughes  were  among  the  first 
people  who  moved  to  this  county.  They  came  here 
in  1859,  and  settled  at  the  "Head  of  Elm,"  where 
the  town  of  St.  Jo  now  stands.  It  was  the  year 
of  the  gold  fever  and  the  trail  was  thick  with  pack 
horses,  and  men,  women  and  children — some  on  foot 
and  some  in  wagons — all  making  a  desperate  effort 
to  reach  the  gold  region.  Some  said  that  gold  was 
to  be  found  in  the  Wichita  Mountains,  others  said 
you  would  not  find  gold  until  you  reached  Pike's 
Peak.  Mr.  Hughes  was  among  the  many  who  were 
disappointed  in  their  search  for  gold.  He  after- 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  107 

wards  moved  his  family  to  Whitesboro.  His  daugh- 
ter, Miss  Begina  Hughes,  married  Mr.  Charles  Moore 
in  1873,  and  they  moved  to  the  mouth  of  the  Lit- 
tle Wichita  River,  in  Clay  County,  just  over  the 
line  from  Montague  County. 

This  was  the  point  chosen  by  the  Indians  to  come 
into  the  country  on  their  raids,  and  to  go  out  of 
the  State  on  their  return  from  harrassing  the  set- 
tlers by  their  savage  depredations.  For  this  rea- 
son they  never  molested  the  Moore  family  at  any 
time ;  they  could  frequently  hear  the  water  splashing 
as  the  Indians  were  crossing  the  river.  The  last 
time  they  crossed  over  was  in  1874,  after  the  killing 
of  the  Huff  family  near  Decatur,  in  Wise  County. 
This  marked  their  last  entrance  into  Texas  for  war- 
like purposes.  It  was  here  that  Jesse  James,  the 
notorious  robber,  spent  the  night  with  the  Moore 
family.  They  did  not  know  whom  they  had  enter- 
tained until  afterwards.  Mrs.  Moore  had  many  ex- 
citing experiences  with  the  Indians  along  the  fron- 
tier in  this  and  other  counties.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore 
now  live  in  Forrestburg. 


THE  LAST  INDIAN  RAID  IN  MONTAGUE 
COUNTY. 

On  a  certain  day  in  August,  1872,  a  number  of 
Montague  County  settlers  engaged  in  a  fight  with 


108  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

the  Indians.  This  proved  to  be  the  last  Indian  fight 
that  occurred  in  this  county. 

A  band  of  Indians  had  been  raiding  through  the 
county,  stealing  horses  as  they  went.  Sometimes 
the  Indians  would  remain  in  hiding  during  the  day 
and  would  send  out  their  spies,  who,  from  some  high 
point,  or  fringe  of  timber,  would  try  to  keep  in 
touch  with  the  movements  of  the  white  men  of  the 
settlement.  This  forced  the  settlers  to  be  constant- 
ly on  their  guard  in  order  to  keep  the  Indians  from 
committing  depredations  of  all  kinds.  So  many 
people  were  now  coming  into  the  county,  thus  rein- 
forcing the  protection  of  the  settlement,  that  the 
Indians  found  it  more  difficult  to  operate  their  raids 
than  in  the  past.  But  they  were  none  the  less  fero- 
cious and  sought  every  opportunity  to  annoy  the 
white  settlers  and  to  force  them  from  what  they 
were  pleased  to  term  "the  land  of  their  fathers. " 

On  the  day  recorded,  Levi  Ferryman,  Aleck  Fer- 
ryman, Crede  Roberts,  Holloway  Williams,  Henry 
Williams,  Henry  Roberts,  —  Southward,  —  South- 
ward's son,  and  some  others  whose  names  could  not 
be  learned,  had  two  fights  with  the  Indians.  Mr. 
Levi  Ferryman  had  been  elected  that  morning  to 
command  the  company.  The  first  fight  occurred  on 
Dry  Valley,  southeast  of  Montague,  on  what  is  now 
called  the  Jim  Boyd  place.  Levi  Ferryman  shot  an 
Indian  during  this  engagement,  who  afterwards  died. 
The  Indians  became  frightened  and  withdrew  from 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  109 

the  scene.  The  white  men  waited  a  few  minutes  for 
Bob  Bean  and  his  company.  They  failed  to  appear 
and  the  men  left  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians.  They 
overtook  them  three  miles  west  of  Cash  McDonald's 
and  exchanged  a  few  shots.  Mr.  Ferryman  ordered 
the  men  to  retreat  and  fall  back  with  the  company 
of  white  men  that  he  thought  was  coming  behind. 
They  failed,  however,  to  meet  the  other  company. 
The  Indians  were  advancing  so  fast,  Mr.  Ferryman 
saw  they  would  soon  overtake  them,  and  he  ordered 
his  men  to  dismount  and  get  ready  for  battle.  This 
they  refused  to  do,  and  the  men,  using  their  own 
judgment,  separated,  going  in  different  directions. 
Just  before  this  Holloway  Williams  had  remarked 
that  he  ought  to  go  back,  as  he  was  riding  a  tired 
horse,  but  said  if  Levi  would  stay  with  him  he 
would  go  on.  Mr.  Ferryman  promised,  for  he  knew 
Williams  was  a  good  fighter.  The  Indians  were  now 
gaming  on  them  every  minute.  After  the  men  re- 
fused to  dismount  Mr.  Ferryman  told  Williams  to 
"bear  to  the  left,"  through  some  thicket  timber.  Mr. 
Ferryman  lingered,  to  hold  the  Indians  back  until 
Mr.  Williams  could  have  time  to  get  ahead,  then  he 
was  going  to  catch  up  with  him  and  take  him  up 
behind  him,  as  he  always  rode  a  fine  horse  that  was 
well  able  to  carry  two  people.  While  he  waited, 
an  Indian  ran  up  on  him.  As  he  was  getting  ready 
to  shoot  two  more  Indians  appeared.  Fearing  they 
would  overpower  him  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  to 


110  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

overtake  Williams  (and  incidentally,  perhaps,  with 
some  view  of  getting  away  from  the  Indians).  When 
overtaken  Williams  was  urging  his  horse  along  as 
best  he  could.  Levi  said,  "Stop  beating  your  horse. 
There  are  only  three  Indians  behind  us,  and  we 
can  whip  them  without  any  trouble,  and  you  can 
get  behind  me  on  my  horse  if  more  Indians  come 
and  we  will  get  away  in  a  hurry."  No  Indians  ap- 
peared, but  "whang"  came  a  bullet  over  the  hill. 

Levi  said,  "I'm  going,  I'm  afraid  some  of  the 
boys  are  in  trouble."  About  this  time  the  Indians 
shot  at  Mr.  Ferryman.  Williams  said,  "Why  do 
you  wait  ?  Go  on  and  leave  me,  and  try  to  save  your- 
self." This  Mr.  Ferryman  refused  to  do.  Appre- 
ciating the  constancy  of  his  friendship,  Williams 
said,  "Levi,  you  are  worth  a  thousand  dollars  in 
gold  to  me."  In  a  few  minutes  the  two  men  were 
joined  by  Alec  Ferryman. 

As  no  further  signs  of  the  Indians  were  given  the 
three  men  decided  to  go  to  the  McFarland  home, 
some  distance  away.  There  they  found  Crede  Rob- 
erts, who  told  them  about  an  Indian  he  had  killed. 
The  men  had  intended  to  go  on  until  they  met  Bob 
Bean's  company,  but  after  they  met  Crede  Roberts 
they  decided  to  go  with  him  and  find  the  Indian 
he  had  slain.  They  asked  Crede  how  it  happened, 
and  he  told  the  following  story : 

When  the  men  separated,  as  has  already  been  told, 
Crede  Roberts,  some  way,  got  behind  the  others. 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  Ill 

The  Indians,  eighteen  in  number,  were  hid  in  the 
black  jack  flat  and  charged  on  the  white  men.  They 
failed  to  shoot  any  of  the  men,  but  wounded  Crede 
Roberts'  horse  in  the  leg.  He  soon  discovered  that 
his  horse  could  not  carry  him  further,  and  he  slided 
off  the  horse  into  the  tall  grass.  He  struck  the  horse 
and  he  ran  on  a  little  further.  The  Indians  fol- 
lowed, thinking  he  was  still  riding  it.  When  they 
came  upon  the  wounded  horse  and  found  him  with- 
out a  rider  they  knew  at  once  that  the  man  had  em- 
ployed strategy  to  deceive  them.  They  halted  for  a 
minute  and  decided  to  hunt  for  Crede.  In  and  out, 
in  and  out,  of  the  tall  grass  they  rode,  searching  for 
him.  A  number  of  Indians  passed  right  by  where 
he  lay  in  hiding  but  failed  to  notice  him.  The  last 
one  to  come  behind  all  the  other  Indians  was  their 
chief.  Mr.  Roberts  at  once  recognized  the  horse  he 
was  riding  as  one  the  Indians  had  stolen  from  Mr. 
Leeper.  With  keen,  trained  eye  and  haughty  mien 
he  looked  among  the  tall  grasses,  hoping  to  detect 
some  sign  that  would  lead  him  to  discover  the  hid- 
den man.  The  white  man  saw  him,  but  feared  to 
fire  because  he  knew  the  report  would  attract  the 
other  Indians  to  the  spot,  when  he  would  doubtless 
be  killed.  But  he  was  forced  to  fire  in  self-defense. 
Just  as  he  thought  he  was  going  to  pass  on  by  with- 
out seeing  him,  the  chief  glanced  down  and  saw  him 
lying  in  the  tall  grass  almost  at  his  horse's  feet. 
For  a  second  they  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and 


112  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

the  chief  drew  his  gun  to  fire,  bat  Roberts  was  too 
quick  for  him.  He  fired  first,  killing  him  instantly. 
The  shot  attracted  the  other  Indians  and  they  began 
to  assemble  for  battle.  Great  confusion  reigned 
when  they  found  their  chief  had  been  slain.  Mr. 
Eoberts  said  he  had  never  heard  such  moaning  as 
the  Indians  did.  They  circled  around  their  dead 
chief,  chanting  the  weird  monotonous  chant  of  their 
tribes. 

In  the  excitement  following  this  Mr.  Eoberts  man- 
aged to  make  his  escape  unnoticed.  Walking  was 
too  slow  a  means  of  travel  that  morning,  and  he  said 
he  ran  several  miles  without  .stopping  until  he 
reached  the  McFarland  place  on  Denton  Creek.  In 
the  race  he  lost  his  hat  and  gun,  but  afterwards  re- 
covered both.  When  he  had  finished  his  story  Levi 
Ferryman  said,  "Crede,  if  I  had  known  your  horse 
was  wounded  and  you  left  behind  on  foot  I  would 
have  stayed  with  you  if  I  had  known  the  Indians 
would  have  killed  me." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  spot  where  the 
killing  took  place  and  found  the  dead  chief  lying 
where  he  fell.  His  warriors  had  spread  two  calico 
shirts  and  a  blanket  over  his  body.  The  Indians 
had  also  left  the  horse  he  was  riding,  tied  near  by. 
This  was  the  first  time  they  had  ever  been  known  to 
leave  one  behind,  but  according  to  their  ancient  su- 
perstitious Indian  custom  they  left  him  there  for 
the  chief  to  ride  home  to  the  "happy  hunting  ground 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  113 

of  his  fathers. "  But  instead  of  their  chief  riding 
him,  as  they  in  their  ignorance  believed  he  would, 
the  men  took  the  horse  back  to  its  rightful  owner. 
The  State  of  Texas  gave  Crede  Roberts  a  $50  rifle 
as  a  reward  for  killing  the  Indian,  and  the  neighbors 
made  up  money  and  bought  him  another  horse. 

The  killing  of  this  Indian  took  place  southwest  of 
Salona,  between  Sunset  and  Salona.  The  minute 
men  had  previously  been  notified  to  head  the  In- 
dians off  at  Brushy  Mound.  These  men  were  com- 
manded by  Capt.  J.  J.  "Willingham.  The  men  re- 
mained on  duty  until  sundown,  when  a  man  named 
Harmon  was  sent  to  notify  them  that  the  Indians 
had  fled,  bound  for  the  Indian  Territory. 

The  story  of  this  Indian  raid  is  of  much  interest 
to  the  old  settlers,  for  it  marked  the  dawn  of  a  new 
era  in  Montague  County.  For,  in  1872,  the  faithful 
runner,  who  risked  his  life  many  times  over  to  warn 
the  settlers  of  the  incoming  Indian  bands,  made  his 
last  ride  on  this  errand  of  mercy.  It  was  never  nec- 
essary again.  The  words  that  had  struck  terror  to 
the  hearts  of  the  women  and  children,  ' '  Get  up  your 
horses,  get  ready  your  firearms,  for  the  Indians  are 
on  the  way,  killing  and  burning  as  they  come," 
these  words  were  to  be  heard  in  this  county  no 
more.  The  death  knell  of  the  Indian  raids  was 
sounded  and  Montague  County  knew  her  red  foe 
never  again. 

About  this  time  the  State  began  to  increase  its 


114  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

ranger  forces  and  stationed  them  along  the  frontier 
in  such  an  effective  way  that  they  made  Indian  in- 
vasion almost  impossible.  This  brought  about  a 
feeling  of  security  that  had  not  heretofore  been  en- 
joyed by  the  settlers,  and  the  county  entered  upon 
an  era  of  progress  and  prosperity. 


JIM  NED  LOOKOUT. 

Jim  Ned  Lookout  is  an  object  of  much  interest  to 
the  people  of  this  county.  It  was  here,  in  the  early 
days  of  the  settlements,  that  the  wary  Indian  spy 
would  climb  to  the  top  of  "Jim  Ned  Lookout77  to 
survey  the  country  and  thereby  ascertain  the  move- 
ments of  the  unsuspecting  white  people.  Jim  Ned 
Lookout  is  a  mound  or  high  prairie  ridge  that  took 
its  name  from  Jim  Ned,  a  Caddo  Indian  chief.  This 
chief  had  but  one  eye.  By  climbing  to  the  highest 
point  on  this  mound  he  could  see,  with  the  keen, 
trained  eye  of  the  eagle,  for  miles  around.  To  the 
spy  system  employed  by  the  Indians  was  due  many 
of  the  successful  attacks  made  upon  the  early  set- 
tlers. Jim  Ned  died  in  Kansas  in  1863,  on  the  Vir- 
digris  Eiver.  His  death  resulted  from  smallpox. 
No  trappings  of  the  warrior  were  buried  with  him, 
that  he  might  make  a  brave  appearance  when  he  ar- 
rived at  the  "happy  hunting  ground"  of  his  imagi- 
nation. He  was  wrapped  in  a  blanket  and  buried 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  115 

in  a  shallow  grave  near  the  banks  of  the  Virdigris. 
Jim  Ned  Lookout  is  between  Montague  and  Forrest- 
burg.  The  Dye  Mound  road  leads  around  the  north 
side  of  it  and  the  Forrestburg  and  Montague  road 
leads  by  the  south  side  of  the  Mound.  Solemn  and 
solitary  it  stands  in  the  winter's  cold  and  the  balmy 
springtime,  holding  the  secrets  of  the  long  ago,  when 
the  haughty  Indian  chiefs  assembled  in  council  to 
declare  eternal  warfare  against  the  "pale  faces," 
who  were  striving  to  wrest  from  them  the  land  of 
their  fathers.  They  viewed,  with  increasing  hatred, 
their  encroachment  upon  their  hunting  grounds,  and 
vowed  a  vow  to  "spare  not."  But  in  this  land  which 
the  Indian  apparently  thought  was  created  for  him, 
his  descendants  are  no  more.  Further  and  further 
away  he  has  been  driven  until  at  the  present  he  is  lit- 
tle more  than  a  tattered  remnant  upon  the  fringe  of 
the  civilization  his  savage  nature  deplores. 


BRUSHY  MOUND. 

They  tell  us  that  the  scenery  of  Colorado  bank- 
rupts the  English  language;  that  the  glory  of  the 
Yosemite  Valley  has  passed  into  literature ;  that  the 
grandeur  of  the  Eocky  Mountains  has  been  told  in 
song  and  story.  And  this  is  true.  But  when  all  has 
been  said  we  will  find  that  nature  has  not  been  un- 
kind to  Montague  County,  but  has  rather  been  dis- 


116  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

posed  to  distribute  her  gifts  with  a  generous  hand. 

Streams  flow  through  the  boundaries  of  our  county 
upon  whose  banks  grow  the  spreading  shade  trees. 
Pecan  orchards  are  to  be  found  growing  without 
cultivation  and  producing  an  abundant  yield.  The 
wild  grape  vine  sways  gracefully  from  the  boughs 
of  the  trees  that  have  given  it  friendly  support,  and 
there  are  to  be  found  many  charming  spots  where 
picnic  parties  may  spend  the  day  most  pleasantly, 
while  they  breathe  in  the  pure,  balmy  life-giving 
breezes  peculiar  to  this  climate.  If  we  cannot  go 
through  the  Grand  canyon  of  the  Colorado,  climb 
Pike's  Peak,  visit  Niagara  Falls,  tour  California  and 
pitch  pebbles  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  let's  not  be 
disappointed.  "We  can  have  a  good  time  at  home. 
Let  us  pack  our  baskets  with  a  nice  lunch,  invite  a 
few  congenial  friends  and  go  "pienicing"  in  our  own 
neighborhood.  We  cannot  drive  five  miles  in  any 
direction  on  a  clear  spring  morning  in  Montague 
County  without  finding  a  pleasant  place  to  spend  the 
day.  You  will  find  pretty  flowers,  inviting  shades 
and  blue  skies.  Let  us  not  find  fault  with  home, 
but  let  us  cultivate  a  spirit  of  appreciation  for  our 
own  surroundings. 

One  of  the  most  picturesque  places  in  the 
County  is  "Brushy  Mound."  It  is  five  miles 
from  Bowie,  and  is  a  part  of  the  ranch 
owned  by  Mr.  Z.  T.  Lowrie  of  Bowie.  The 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  117 

accessibility  of  Brushy  Mound  and  the  comparative 
ease  with  which  it  may  be  explored  adds  greatly  to 
the  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  this  place.  It  is  made  cool 
and  inviting  by  the  growth  of  shade  trees  which 
cling  to  the  soil  that  has  gathered  among  the  rocks. 
The  curious  rock  formations  are  of  interest,  even  to 
the  accustomed  eye.  Truly  these  formations  are 
wonderful,  as  wonderful  as  the  presence  of  the 
Mound  itself.  Rising  abruptly  from  a  stretch  of  prai- 
rie, it  gives  a  commanding  view  of  the  surrounding 
country.  In  the  distance  to  the  right  is  to  be  seen, 
another  mound.  This  point  is  called  Queen's  Peak, 

Doubtless  these  mounds  are  centuries  old,  and  for 
ages  they  have  stood,  like  two  silent  sentinels,  guard- 
ing the  stronghold  of  their  people.  Queen's  Peak 
took  its  name  from  a  young  girl  whose  name  was 
Queen  Victoria.  She  was  stolen  by  the  Indians, 
who,  in  their  flight,  crossed  the  extreme  top  of  the 
mound.  A  piece  of  the  girl's  dress  was  afterwards 
found  here  and  the  people  christened  the  spot 
Queen's  Peak.  Brushy  Mound  has  ever  been  a  fa- 
vorite retreat  for  picnic  parties.  One  spot  full  of 
interest  to  the  visitor  is  a  large,  smooth  rock.  This 
rock  is  almost  covered  by  the  names  and  dates  carved 
on  it  by  the  merry  parties  that  have  gathered  there 
from  year  to  year. 

Brushy  Mound  is  not  without  its  historic  interest. 
It  was  from  its  heights  the  wary  Indian  viewed  the 
surrounding  country  and  lay  in  wait  for  the  early 


118  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

settlers.  On  the  very  top  is  an  Indian  grave.  How 
long  it  has  been  here  we  do  not  know.  But  some 
time  in  the  long  ago  the  Indians  assembled  here  to 
practice  their  weird  incantations  over  the  grave  of 
this  warrior. 

How  old  are  these  rocks?  No  man  knows.  But 
as  one  gazes  upon  this  great  rugged  mass  they  can- 
not but  wonder  if  this  upheaval  came  on  that  mem- 
orable day  when  the  ''Man  of  Galilee ??  bore  His 
cross  up  Calvary's  hill  and  the  "rocks  and  the  moun- 
tains were  rent  in  twain. ' ' 


THE  HOME  OP  MY  EARLY  DAYS. 

There  is  an  old  cabin  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 

And  my  heart  turns  to  it  today ; 
The  lord  of  his  manor  may  jeer  if  he  will, 

But  I  will  continue  my  lay, 
And  will  sing  of  the  cabin  both  old  and  uncouth, 

The  unsightly  old  cabin,  the  home  of  my  youth. 

Around  the  old  cabin  the  wild  flowers  grew, 
And  I  gathered  them  there  in  my  play ; 

They  sparkled  like  diamonds,  in  the  fresh  morning 

dew, 
As  I  bore  them  triumphant  away — 

To  the  door  of  our  cabin  at  the  foot  of  the  hill — 
The  rugged  old  cabin,  low  perched  by  the  rill. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  119 

And  mother  would  chide  me  for  running  away, 
To  a  place  where  an  Indian  might  be ; 

And  tell  me  the  evils  in  my  pathway  that  lay, 
If  my  wanderings  the  savage  might  see; 

But  greater  the  pleasure  compared  to  the  fear, 
Was  there  in  the  cabin  on  the  Texas  frontier. 

Though  few  were  the  comforts,  as  judging  by  now, 

What  the  people  desire  and  possess ; 
A  feeling  of  bliss  there  existed  somehow, 

And  a  longing  to  cherish  and  bless ; 
No  selfishness  reigned,  as  sometimes  we  find 

In  the  homes  of  today  more  gay  and  refined. 

The  stranger  was  welcome  to  such  as  we  had ; 

A  neighbor  was  precious  as  gold ; 
We  saw  his  good  traits  instead  of  his  bad, 

In  the  beautiful  seasons  of  old, 
In  the  old-fashioned  cabin,  so  modest  and  plain, 

And  that  is  the  life  I  long  for  again. 

— By  L.  Passmore. 


THE  HOME  LIFE  OF  THE  PIONEER. 

A  clearing  in  the  woods,  with  a  rail  or  picket  fence 
surrounding  it.  A  well  beaten  path  that  led  to  the 
spring  and  wash  place  near  by.  One  large  log  room, 
with  sometimes  a  side  room,  with  a  square  opening 


120  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

cut  for  a  window.  This  window  had  no  glass  panes, 
but  a  wooden  shutter,  held  in  place  by  leather  straps, 
served  as  a  closing.  Two  doors,  one  in  front,  the 
other  at  the  back;  a  puncheon  or  dirt  floor  and  a 
stick  and  clay  chimney.  A  large  fireplace  opened 
inside  the  house.  Across  this  fireplace  was  a  goodly 
sized  iron  bar  on  which  the  pot  hooks  hung.  Un- 
like her  daughters  and  granddaughters,  who  cook 
on  a  modern  range  heated  by  wood,  coal  or  gas,  the 
pioneer  mother  prepared  her  meals  and  cooked  them 
on  the  fireplace.  Many  an  appetizing  meal  was 
served  to  the  family  in  this  way.  Another  essential 
was  the  large  iron  oven.  It  stood  on  tall  iron  legs, 
and  was  covered  with  a  heavy  iron  lid.  When  bak- 
ing, this  oven  was  set  over  a  bed  of  red  hot  coals, 
and  coals  were  heaped  on  top  of  the  lid.  This  was 
the  favorite  way  of  baking  bread.  A  well  worn 
stone  step  at  the  front  door,  some  rude  boxes  nailed 
on  the  outside  on  either  side  of  the  door,  in  which 
bloomed  the  old-fashioned  moss.  There  were  beds 
of  zenias,  marigolds,  bachelor  buttons  and  princess 
feather,  grown  from  seed  brought  from  the  old 
states;  a  rude  bench  under  a  shade  tree,  the  grind 
stone  near  by,  the  ash  hopper  in  the  back  yard  and 
almost  invariably  a  horse  hitched  at  the  front  gate. 
Get  this  description  in  your  mind  and  you  will 
have  a  picture  of  the  pioneer  home  of  Montague 
County.  The  home  life  in  any  pioneer  country  is 
much  the  same.  There  is  very  little  difference  in 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  121 

their  environment.  The  people,  in  many  instances, 
being  taxed  to  the  uttermost  to  provide  the  neces- 
saries of  life.  Luxuries  were  unthought  of.  The 
markets  were  far  away  and  the  price  of  sugar  and 
coffee  was  so  high  that  no  doubt  many  of  our  good 
pioneer  mothers  could  instruct  us  in  the  art  of  using 
cane  syrup  for  sugar  and  parched  grain  for  coffee. 
Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  praise  of  the  resource- 
fulness of  the  housewife  of  early  Montague  County 
days.  She  had  none  of  the  modern  appliances  for 
lightening  labor,  such  as  we  now  have  in  daily  use. 
Most  of  the  labor  was  performed  with  her  own  will- 
ing hands.  Corn  meal  constituted  the  principal 
bread  making.  Flour  being  scarce  biscuits  were  only 
served  on  rare  occasions,  many  families  being  with- 
out any  flour  whatever.  An  old  price  list  was  con- 
sulted and  it  was  found  that  during  this  period  white 
sugar  was  35  cents  per  pound ;  rice,  25  cents  per 
pound;  hams,  35  cents  per  pound;  brown  sugar,  20 
cents  per  pound;  corn,  $1.37  per  bushel;  barley,  $2 
per  bushel;  oats,  $1.50  per  bushel,  and  flour,  $15  per 
barrel  of  196  pounds.  Salt,  5  cents  per  pound,  and 
beef  cattle,  $35  per  head.  Almanacs  could  be  had 
for  25  cents  each,  by  going  to  Gainesville  for  them. 
It  was  not  uncommon  for  people  to  get  without 
bread  stuff  and  remain  without  for  days.  Mr.  Bud 
Morris  of  Montague  said  he  went  to  mill  twice  a 
year,  in  the  spring  and  in  the  fall.  He  had  to  take 
^his  wheat  to  Dallas  to  have  it  ground  into  flour. 


122  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Corn  was  ground  into  meal  by  hand,  in  an  old  steel 
mill  made  for  that  purpose.  The  early  settlers  of 
Montague  County  shared  the  same  experience. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  Pen- 
ton,  who,  in  1866,  lived  near  where  Burlington  now 
stands.  They  had  to  go  forty-five  miles  to  mill.  Once 
when  the  father  had  been  absent  for  a  long  time, 
looking  after  cattle,  the  family  was  without  bread 
for  three  weeks.  They  had  been  living  on  sweet 
potatoes,  dried  beef  and  coffee  made  from  wheat.  As 
this  supply  was  running  low,  the  mother  finally  de- 
cided to  send  her  two  sons,  Price,  aged  9  years,  and 
John,  aged  13  years,  to  mill.  The  little  fellows  bade 
their  mother  good  bye  and,  with  scant  rations  on 
which  to  make  the  trip,  they  started  for  the  mill, 
forty-five  miles  away. 

They  were  driving  a  yoke  of  young  steers  and  had 
eight  bushels  of  corn  with  them  which  they  ex- 
pected to  have  ground  into  meal.  The  country  was 
infested  with  Indians,  and  it  was  with  many  fears 
for  their  safety  that  the  mother  watched  them  start 
on  their  journey.  She  did  not  allow  them  to 
carry  arms.  She  reasoned  with  them  in  this  way : 
"If  the  Indians  overtake  you,  and  you  make 
an  attempt  to  fight  them,  they  will  kill  and  scalp 
you.  Otherwise  they  may  only  take  you  captives, 
and  you  may  have  an  opportunity  to  escape. ' ' 

On  their  way  they  had  to  pass  directly  by  the 
place  where  the  Box  family  was  attacked  by  the  In- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  123 

dians  and  Mr.  Box  was  slain.  If  their  hearts  beat 
more  quickly  and  they  urged  the  steers  to  travel 
faster  at  this  point,  who  can  blame  them  1  They  were 
five  days  making  the  trip.  At  night  they  would  hob- 
ble the  steers,  put  bells  on  them  and  turn  them 
loose  to  graze  on  the  grass.  After  eating  a  meal  of 
dried  beef  and  sweet  potatoes  the  two  boys  would 
make  their  bed  under  the  wagon  and  sleep  there 
until  morning.  They  made  the  journey  there  and 
back  in  safety.  The  mother  spent  many  anxious 
hours  watching  for  their  return.  Her  joy  was  great 
when  late  one  afternoon  she  saw  the  wagon  slowly 
approaching,  with  both  boys  waving  to  her.  To- 
gether with  the  smaller  children  she  went  down  the 
road  to  welcome  them  back  home.  The  family  en- 
joyed the  first  bread  they  had  tasted  in  weeks  that 
night  for  supper. 

Some  one  may  ask,  how  could  a  mother  send  two 
young  boys  on  such  a  perilous  trip?  Necessity  knows 
no  law,  and  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  go  in  order 
that  the  family  might  not  suffer  want.  This  is  only 
an  example  of  the  many  sacrifices  and  hardships  the 
pioneer  mothers  were  called  upon  to  endure.  In 
those  troublous  Indian  times  no  wife  or  mother,  when 
she  said  farewell  to  husband  or  children  for  only  a 
brief  period,  had  the  assurance  that  she  would  ever 
see  them  again.  Those  were  days  of  economy,  too. 
They  even  had  to  economize  in  matches.  Nowadays 
we  think  nothing  of  using  a  box  of  matches  every 


124  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

few  days,  especially  if  we  burn  gas.  Matches  were 
not  so  common  as  they  are  today.  The  careful 
housewife  kept  the  coals  in  the  fireplace  covered  with 
ashes,  that  she  might  not  be  without  the  means  of 
lighting  a  fire.  Sometimes  the  fire  would  go  out  in 
spite  of  all  precaution,  and  then  they  had  to  resort  to 
the  flint  from  the  gunlock,  using  cotton  to  catch  the 
spark  with.  Nothing  was  farther  from  our  gas  and 
electric  lights  of  today  than  the  tallow  candles  in 
early  use.  They  were  manufactured  at  home,  and 
poured  into  moulds  made  especially  for  that  purpose. 
Many  people  used  a  yarn  strip  dipped  in  grease  and 
hung  in  some  kind  of  a  tin  can  for  a  light.  Later 
these  were  supplanted  by  the  small  brass  lamp  with- 
out any  chimney.  It  was  surprising  how  soon  a  lamp 
of  this  kind  could  smoke  the  walls  of  a  room.  The 
task  of  providing  clothing  for  the  family  also  de- 
volved upon  the  pioneer  housewife.  A  great  deal 
of  her  time  was  spent  in  spinning  and  weaving  cloth 
from  which  the  wearing  apparel  for  the  entire  fam- 
ily was  made.  The  wool  garments  were  woven  from 
wool  clipped  from  the  sheep.  Cotton  garments  were 
woven  from  cotton  which  had  previously  been  picked 
from  the  seed  by  hand.  This  was  a  most  tedious 
process.  They  had  certain  ways  of  dyeing  the  cloth, 
and  some  very  pretty  homespun  dresses  were  made. 
In  those  days  clothes  were  made  with  a  view  to  long 
wearing.  You  would  think  the  costumes  worn  by 
many  of  the  pioneer  men  quite  odd  looking.  Bor- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  125 

rowing  some  ideas  from  the  Indians  they  quite  often 
dressed  in  trousers  made  of  buckskin,  and  a  coonskin 
cap,  with  the  tail  left  dangling  from  the  back  of  the 
cap.  The  men  also  wore  shawls  and  blankets.  Im- 
mediately following  reconstruction  days  it  suddenly 
became  necessary  for  two  well  reared,  well  educated 
and  (before  the  war)  wealthy  gentlemen  from  the 
old  states  to  make  a  quick  journey  to  Texas.  A 
friend  of  theirs,  who  had  perhaps  been  a  little  too 
active  in  the  Klu  Klux  Klan,  had  preceded  them  some 
months  before.  These  men  went  to  where  their 
friend  lived,  and  were  directed  to  a  spot  where  he 
was  found  trying  to  smoke  a  rabbit  out  of  a  log  for 
supper.  Upon  seeing  their  friend,  whom  they  had 
always  seen  attired  in  the  prevailing  fashion,  dressed 
in  the  frontiersman  garb  of  buckskin  trousers,  fawn 
skin  vest  and  coon  skin  cap,  they  laughed  until  the 
tears  ran  down  their  cheeks.  But  a  few  weeks  found 
them  wearing  the  same  kind  of  a  costume,  and  taking 
upon  themselves  the  habits  of  the  new  country — 
meeting  its  hardships  and  privations  without  a  mur- 
mur. 

There  were  few,  if  any,  orchards  in  the  early 
Montague  County  days,  but  here  the  thrifty  house- 
wife again  met  the  emergency  by  drawing  upon  the 
wild  fruit  native  to  this  county.  They  made  pal- 
atable preserves  from  the  wild  plum  and  wild  grape, 
not  to  mention  the  beer  made  from  the  persimmon. 

It  was  the  pride  of  the  ambitious  housewife  to 


126  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

have  a  large  supply  of  feather  beds  and  feather 
pillows.  "With  all  of  the  modern  sanitary  mattresses 
nothing  makes  a  more  comfortable  bed  upon  which 
to  rest  the  tired  body  than  a  well  sunned,  well  aired 
feather  bed.  The  women  also  helped  in  the  making 
of  ammunition,  which  was  scarce  in  those  days.  The 
bullets  were  made  from  bars  of  lead  bought  at  the 
hardware  store.  This  was  melted  and  poured  into 
bullet  moulds  made  for  that  purpose.  They  opened 
and  closed  like  a  pair  of  scissors.  Their  starch  was 
made  at  home  from  potatoes.  Every  household  made 
their  own  soap,  and  no  back  yard  was  complete  with- 
out an  ash  hopper.  A  great  deal  of  the  furniture 
was  made  by  the  father  out  of  timber  brought  from 
the  woods.  Some  people  only  had  a  footboard  and 
one  side  to  their  bed.  This  was  nailed  up  in  one 
corner  of  the  room,  the  headboard  and  one  side  con- 
sisting of  the  sides  of  the  house.  Tables  and  benches 
were  also  made  at  home  from  the  timbers  of  the 
forest,  while  chairs  were  fashioned  from  the  same 
material,  the  bottoms  being  made  of  rope  or  raw- 
hide. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  sewing  machines  came 
into  general  use,  the  women  doing  their  sewing  by 
hand.  They  had  few  clocks,  the  time  of  day  being 
reckoned  by  the  sun.  The  pioneer  woman  seldom 
spent  an  idle  moment,  so  much  depended  upon  her. 
Not  only  was  she  expected  to  care  for  the  house, 
prepare  meals,  wash,  iron,  sew  and  look  after  the 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  127 

children,  but  she  had  to  manufacture  so  much  that 
was  used  for  home  consumption. 

Some  of  the  old  leather  covered,  weather-beaten 
trunks  in  the  far  corner  of  some  of  these  log  cabins 
on  the  frontier,  when  opened  would  tell  of  a  far  dif- 
ferent life  to  this  that  was  led  in  the  old  states.  Lift 
the  lid,  and  in  the  bottom,  carefully  wrapped,  you 
will  find  one  or  two  silk  dresses,  some  dainty  linen 
and  lace,  kid  gloves  and  a  pair  of  satin  slippers.  A 
tinge  of  sadness  comes  into  the  mother's  face  as  she 
allows  her  thoughts  to  wander  for  a  moment  to  the 
days  of  long  ago,  but  she  bravely  puts  such  thoughts 
away  and  takes  up  her  daily  task  again  without  com- 
plaint. The  settlements  were  not  without  some  so- 
cial recreation.  Open-hearted  hospitality  prevailed. 
The  young  people  frequently  gave  dances,  play  par- 
ties and  candy  breakings.  A  house  raising  was 
looked  forward  to  with  much  eagerness,  this  being 
the  time  for  great  exhibitions  of  strength.  But  the 
pleasure  of  all  pleasure,  that  outshone  them  all,  that 
was  talked  about  for  weeks  before  and  for  days  af- 
terward, was  the  good  old-fashioned  quilting,  where 
the  friends  were  invited,  the  quilt  quilted  and  a 
sumptuous  dinner  was  served.  Those  days  had  much 
of  pleasure  in  them,  for  all  they  were  mingled  with 
anxieties,  discomforts  and  inconveniences.  This  has 
given  way  to  the  path  of  progress,  except  the  im- 
print of  the  character  of  the  men  and  women  of 
those  times.  These  are  stamped  indelibly  upon  their 


128  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

children  today — to  overcome  obstacles,  to  do  things 
worth  while,  was  their  motto.  Let  that  motto  be 
yours. 


TO  THE  BOYS  AND  GIRLS. 

There  is  scarcely  a  boy  or  girl  in  our  county  who 
has  not  at  some  time  been  an  interested  listener  to 
the  stories  told  by  the  family  fireside  of  what  grand- 
father and  grandmother  had  to  tell  of  "Indian 
times. ' '  How  they  bravely  defended  their  little  cabin 
homes  from  the  dreaded  foe ;  how  grandmother 
helped  by  the  use  of  her  rifle.  A  manly  little  hand 
rests  lovingly  on  her  shoulder,  and  a  pair  of  inquisi- 
tive, bright  eyes  look  into  hers;  her  favorite  grand- 
son looks  at  the  kind,  wrinkled  face  and  at  the  hands 
that  have  never  known  aught  but  kindly  deeds,  and 
says:  "I  just  can't  imagine  grandmother  firing  a 
gun,  but  I  know  she  has,  'cause  she  says  so."  Then 
the  little  fellow  straightens  himself  up  and,  with 
all  the  ardor  of  the  American  boy,  says:  "I  just 
wish  I  could  have  lived  in  those  days.  I  would  have 
helped  you  fight  the  Indians,  grandfather. ' '  The  old 
man's  eyes  kindle  with  the  fires  of  youth  as  he  re- 
plies: "I  know  you  would,  son.  That  is  the  kind 
of  spirit  Texas  produces.  Your  father  did  before 
you.  But  the  Indian  times  are  no  more.  Father  and 
grandfather  settled  with  them. ' ' 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  129 

But  there  is  always  a  battle  to  be  fought  for  right 
against  the  wrong.  I  want  you  to  make  a  good  sol- 
dier in  that  battle.  The  pioneers  of  this  county  laid 
the  foundation  for  a  worthy  citizenship,  and  all 
we  ask  our  sons  and  daughters  is  to  be  true  to  that 
principle.  Be  loyal,  be  honest,  be  honorable,  be  pa- 
triotic. Upon  a  patriotic  citizenship  depends  the 
life  of  a  nation.  Study  with  your  teacher  the  many 
meanings  of  the  word  patriotism.  It  does  not  always 
mean  to  take  up  weapons  and  go  to  war.  It  is  the 
desire  which  aims  to  serve  one's  country,  either  in 
defending  it  from  invasion  or  protecting  its  rights, 
and  maintaining  its  laws  and  institutions  in  vigor  and 
purity.  You  boys  and  girls  belong  to  the  twentieth 
century.  Wonderful  progress  awaits  you  in  the  fu- 
ture. You  may  fly  to  Galveston  in  an  air  ship  or  live 
to  see  a  gold  mine  in  Montague  County,  but  do  not 
let  your  eager  hopes  of  the  future  lessen  your  inter- 
est in  the  past. 

Go  to  some  old  pioneer  in  your  neighborhood ;  he 
may  be  feeble,  but  he  can  tell  you  many  interesting 
experiences  of  the  early  days  of  your  county.  His 
memory  carries  him  far  back  before  we  had  the  tele- 
graph and  the  telephone,  or  the  railroads.  He  can 
tell  you  when  there  was  not  a  town  in  the  county, 
and  when  they  had  no  regular  roads  to  travel;  of 
when  sugar  was  scarce  and  ice  an  undreamed  of  lux- 
ury. When  it  is  your  privilege  to  meet  one  of  the 
old  settlers  of  this  county  give  them  a  cordial  greet- 


130  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

ing  and  tell  them  how  much  you  appreciate  what 
they  have  done  for  our  county.  In  a  few  years  more 
all  the  pioneers  who  can  tell  you  of  the  early  days 
will  be  gone.  Cultivate  for  them  a  feeling  of  patri- 
otic reverence,  for  they  are  in  every  way  worthy 
of  it. 

"I'LL  DO  WHAT  I  CAN." 

Who  takes  for  his  motto,  "I'll  do  what  I  can," 

Shall  better  the  world  as  he  goes  down  life's  hill, 
The  willing  young  heart  makes  the  capable  man, 

And  who  does  what  he  can  oft  can  do  what  he  will. 
There's  strength  in  the  impulse  to  help  things  along, 

And  forces  undreamed  of  will  come  to  the  aid 
Of  the  one  who,  though  weak,  yet  believes  he  is 
strong, 

And  offers  himself  to  the  task  unafraid — 

I'll  do  what  I  can,  is  a  challenge  to  fate, 

And  fate  must  succumb  when  it's  put  to  the  test, 
A  heart  that  is  willing  to  labor  and  wait 

In  its  tussle  with  life  ever  comes  out  the  best. 
It  puts  the  blue  imps  of  depression  to  rout, 

And  makes  many  difficult  problems  seem  plain ; 
It  mounts  over  obstacles,  dissipates  doubt, 

And  unravels  kinks  in  life's  curious  chain. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  131 

I'll  do  what  I  can  keeps  the  progress  machine 

In  good  working  order  as  centuries  roll; 
And  civilization  would  perish,  I  do  ween, 

Were  those  words  not  written  on  many  a  soul. 
They  fell  the  great  forests,  they  furrow  the  soil, 

They  seek  new  inventions  to  benefit  man, 
They  fear  no  exertion,  make  pastime  of  toil, 

0,  great  is  earth's  debt  to  "I'll  do  what  I  can." 
—By  Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox. 


ODE  TO  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

"Oh,  old  Montague,  when  I  gaze  upon  thy  rugged 

face, 

And  on  thy  curious  rocks 
The  hand  of  nature  trace, 
The  straight  and  mighty  clefts, 
With  which  thy  hills  are  riven, 
As  though  some  mighty  hand 
His  sword  had  through  them  driven, 
I  wonder  at  the  cause  of  thy  mysterious  birth, 
What  hand  could  dress  thy  adamantine  rocks, 
Or  ope  at  will  thy  myriad  pebbled  locks. 
Naught  but  the  tossing  of  the  mighty  sea 
Could  thus  unite  them 'for  Eternity — 
'Tis  said  that  in  the  eons  of  some  ages  past, 
Old  Ocean  held  this  land  within  its  grasp, 
That  rock  and  shell  and  bones  of  fish  all  tell 


132  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE'  COUNTY. 

How  from  his  sway  the  mighty  monarch  fell, 
Gave  back  to  life  this  sunny  land  of  ours, 
Where  man  and  bird  have  built  their  sweetest  bow- 
ers, 
Where  herds  of  cattle  graze,  and  sweetest  flowers 

blow, 

Where  farmers  reap  the  golden  headed  mow, 
Where  many  fruits  their  beauteous  wealth  unfold, 
And  forth  are  sent  to  countless  homes  untold — 
And  yet  thy  rolling  plains  and  wooded  hills, 
Thy  fields  of  cotton  ripening  for  the  mills, 
Thy  wealth  of  fruit,  grape,  berry, 
Wherein  the  golden  harvest  all  are  merry, 
Are  naught  to  treasures  rich  within  thy  bosom  sealed, 
For  thy  deep  mysteries  are  only  half  revealed. 
In  nature's  reservoir  these  treasures  lie  concealed, 
Montague,  thy  future  sons,  rich  heritage  shall  reap, 
From  'neath  the  soil  in  which  their  fathers  sleep. 
Shall  we  not  love  this  happy  land  most  blest, 
Shall  we  not  bleed  to  see  its  wrongs  redressed, 
Shall  not  its  mothers  rear  their  sons  for  noble  deed, 
Its  men  be  brave,  for  right  the  first  to  lead, 
Shall  we  not  emulate  the  great  of  ancient  story, 
And  be  Montague  our  greatest  pride  and  glory  ? ' ' 

— Mrs.  Jennie  Linnen. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  133 

MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Situated  in  North  Texas,  bordering  the  Red  River, 
is  an  area  of  976  square  miles.  This  portion  of  coun- 
try is  known  as  Montague  County,  and  is  bordered 
on  the  south  by  Jack  and  Wise  counties.  Wise 
County  is  in  North  Texas.  This  county  was  organ- 
ized in  1858,  named  for  Henry  A.  Wise.  Wise  Coun- 
ty has  an  area  of  843  square  miles.  Decatur  is  the 
county  seat.  Jack  County  was  organized  in  1857. 
Has  an  area  of  858  square  miles.  Was  named  for 
Patrick  A.  Jack.  Jacksboro  is  the  county  seat.  Mon- 
tague County  is  bordered  by  Cook  County  on  the 
east  and  by  Clay  County  on  the  west.  Cook  County  is 
situated  in  North  Texas  on  Red  River,  was  organized 
in  1849.  Has  an  area  of  1000  square  miles.  Was 
named  for  William  G.  Cook.  The  county  seat  is 
Gainesville.  Clay  County  is  in  North  Texas,  bor- 
dering Red  River.  This  county  was  organized  in 
1873.  Was  named  for  Henry  Clay.  Has  an  area  of 
1250  square  miles.  Henrietta  is  the  county  seat. 
Montague  County  was  created  by  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  1857.  The  county  was  organized  the  first 
Monday  in  August,  1858,  and  was  named  for  Colonel 
Daniel  Montague.  He  was  district  surveyor  when 
the  county  was  created.  The  home  of  Colonel  Mon- 
tague was  four  miles  northwest  of  Gainesville.  Col- 
onel Montague's  duties  as  surveyor  frequently 
brought  him  in  contact  with  the  people  of  this  coun- 


134  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

ty,  and  as  a  mark  of  esteem,  when  the  county  was 
created  they  gave  it  his  name.  Wise,  Montague, 
Clay  and  Jack  counties  were  created  from  Cook 
County.  Cook  County  was  created  from  Fannin 
County.  The  population  of  Montague  County  had 
now  grown  to  sufficient  number  to  justify  local  self- 
government.  A  general  desire  for  civil  measures 
for  the  protection  of  personal  and  property  rights 
was  now  being  manifested.  Previous  to  this  Mon- 
tague County  had  been  attached  to  Cook  County  for 
judicial  purposes,  but  Gainesville  was  too  far  away 
for  the  convenience  of  the  people.  Accordingly  an 
election  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  suit- 
able place  for  the  county  seat  and  for  the  election 
of  county  officers.  At  this  election  sixty-three  votes 
were  polled.  Three  places  were  candidates  for  the 
county  seat.  One  place  was  known  as  the  Head  of 
Elm,  where  St.  Jo  now  stands.  Another  was  a  place 
on  Farmers'  Creek,  between  Montague  and  Elm, 
owned  by  a  man  named  Thomas.  This  man  was  the 
first  Adjutant  General  Texas  ever  had.  He  owned 
a  section  of  land  there  and  proposed  to  give  the 
county  half  of  it  if  they  would  locate  the  county 
seat  at  this  place,  but  the  majority  voted  for  the 
center  of  the  county,  which  was  afterwards  named 
Montague.  The  county  seat  was  founded  in  1858. 
No  one  lived  here  at  this  time,  and  nothing  about 
the  place  indicated  that  it  would  ever  be  a  town. 
The  sole  tenants  consisted  of  a  solemn  looking  group 
of  postoak  trees. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  135 

A  town  lot  sale  soon  followed,  the  lots  ranging  in 
price  from  $60  to  $100.  A  log  court  house  was  built 
and  used  until  after  the  war.  Later  an  old  store 
building  that  stood  on  the  north  side  of  the  square 
was  used  for  the  court  house.  After  this  the  frame 
court  house  burned,  losing  surveyor's  records  and 
other  valuable  papers.  In  1878  a  contract  was  let 
for  a  stone  court  house.  This  building  was  com- 
pleted in  1879.  Burned  in  1884.  All  papers  that 
were  outside  the  vaults  were  destroyed.  It  was  after 
this  second  disaster  that  the  present  court  house  was 
built.  This  building  was  so  badly  damaged  by  a 
severe  wind  storm  in  the  spring  of  1912  that  a  new 
court  house  became  necessary.  This  new  building 
will  doubtless  be  erected  soon,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
will  be  a  credit  to  a  county  like  Montague. 

The  result  of  the  first  election  held  in  this  county, 
so  far  as  can  be  obtained  is  as  follows : 

County  Judge— Dr.  N.  H.  0.  Polly. 

Sheriff — Willis  Lavender. 

County  Clerk — M.  M.  Hagler. 

County  Treasurer — Isaac  Burnett. 

County  Commissioners — Austin  Morris,  —  Ed- 
wards, E.  S.  Singletary. 

County  Surveyor — F.  M.  Totty. 

The  county's  legal  business  was  transacted  in 
quite  a  different  manner  to  what  it  is  now.  The  Col- 
lector's and  Assessor's  office  was  one  office  and 
looked  after  by  one  man.  The  county  had  no  County 
Attorney,  such  as  we  have  now.  The  duties  of  this 


136  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

office  were  looked  after  by  the  District  Attorney. 
This  was  changed  in  accordance  with  the  Constitu- 
tion in  1876.  The  first  assessment  of  taxes  was  in 
1859.  The  same  man  assessed  and  collected.  He  as- 
sessed one  year  and  collected  the  next.  That  is,  taxes 
assessed  in  1859  would  be  collected  in  1860.  The  as- 
sessor had  to  hunt  up  the  taxpayer.  The  county  was 
so  thinly  settled  at  this  period  one  man  could  do  the 
work  in  two  weeks.  The  officers  were  not  compelled 
to  live  in  the  county  seat.  The  County  Treasurer 
lived  near  Hardy  (as  did  also  the  County  Judge). 
The  County  Treasurer  would  put  the  county's  money 
in  his  saddle  bags,  ride  over  to  Montague,  pay  the 
officers  their  meager  salaries  and  return  home. 

Contrary  to  present  custom,  an  official  term  con- 
sisted of  four  years. 

Officeholders  in  the  early  days  of  Montague 
County  could  not  be  accused  of  desiring  office  for 
mercenary  purposes.  For  holding  office  then  was  an 
empty  honor.  They  received  little  or  no  pay  for 
their  services,  which  they  gave  cheerfully,  in  order 
that  a  foundation  for  the  executive  department  of 
the  county  might  be  laid.  In  1858  there  were  only 
two  voting  precincts  in  the  county,  one  located  west 
of  Forrestburg,  where  Levi  Ferryman  now  lives,  the 
other  was  located  at  the  Head  of  Elm,  where  St.  Jo 
now  stands.  Some  noted  pioneer  lawyers  of  the 
county  were  Colonel  Maines,  John  Scanlin,  Mr.  Jam- 
ison, Mr.  Matlock,  John  H.  Stephens,  "W.  H.  Grigsby, 
Mr.  "Willis  and  J.  M.  Chambers.  Some  famous  cases 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  137 

that  have  been  tried  at  different  times  in  the  early 
court  days  of  the  county  were  the  Cribbs  and  Preston 
case  and  the  Brown  case.  Another  noted  case  was 
that  of  Harris.  According  to  his  own  confession, 
Harris,  who  lived  alone  with  his  brother,  told  his 
brother  he  was  going  away  to  seek  work.  He  slipped 
back  next  morning  and  shot  his  brother  while  he  was 
preparing  his  breakfast.  His  purpose  was  to  get 
possession  of  his  brother's  property.  He  was  tried 
and  sentenced  to  be  hanged.  This  was  the  only  legal 
hanging  which  ever  occurred  in  this  county,  although 
a  large  number  of  hangings  in  which  the  law  was 
not  invited  to  take  part  happened  at  other  times. 
At  this  period  the  people  were  in  constant  danger 
of  having  their  horses  stolen  by  the  Indians,  who 
would  come  sometimes  two  hundred  in  a  bunch  and 
go  as  far  as  Denton  town,  then  sweep  back  across 
this  county  with  a  thousand  horses  at  a  time.  The 
Indians  were  raiding  through  the  county  at  all  times, 
but  occasionally  the  people  suffered  a  loss  of  horses 
at  the  hands  of  white  people. 

One  hanging  long  remembered  by  old  settlers  was 
that  of  Nancy  Hill,  a  notorious  horse  thief  of  that 
day.  The  hanging  took  place  in  1873  on  Denton 
Creek,  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  iron  bridge 
on  the  Montague  and  Bowie  road.  The  body  was 
found  hanging  from  the  limb  of  a  tree  by  Bud  Mor- 
ris of  Montague.  The  woman  had  been  followed 
from  Springtown  by  a  band  of  men,  where  she  had 
been  appropriating  other  people's  horses.  They 


138  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

came  up  on  her  at  Denton  Creek,  and  taking  the  law 
in  their  own  hands  meted  out  punishment  by  hang- 
ing. Another  case  particularly  remembered  by  early 
settlers  is  that  of  the  first  man  ever  indicted  in  the 
county.  He  was  indicted  for  stealing  horses.  His 
name  was  Jones  and  he  operated  his  business  under 
the  guise  of  a  preacher.  He  was  very  pious  and  be- 
nign in  appearance,  and  it  was  a  great  shock  to  the 
county  when  he  was  arrested  for  stealing  a  horse 
from  a  man  named  Kelly.  By  his  own  statement 
he  was  77  years  old,  and  had  followed  horse  stealing 
all  his  life.  He  had  a  novel  way  of  hiding  the 
horses'  tracks.  He  put  sheepskin  moccasins  on  their 
feet  and  in  that  way  avoided  detection.  He  was 
tried  and  sentenced  to  twelve  years  in  the  peniten- 
tiary. 

The  first  postoffice  in  the  county  was  established 
at  Montague  in  1858.  The  mail  carrier  brought  the 
mail  twice  a  week  from  Gainesville.  This  seemed  a 
long  step  toward  progress  to  Montague  County  cit- 
izens, for  previous  to  this  they  had  to  go  to  De- 
catur  or  Gainesville  to  get  their  mail. 

Cattle  raising  was  the  principal  pursuit  in  that 
day.  In  1872  the  office  of  Hide  and  Animal  Inspector 
was  created.  J.  T.  Bellows  was  one  of  the  first  men 
who  held  this  office.  This  office  became  necessary 
because  of  the  large  herds  of  cattle  that  were  con- 
stantly being  driven  over  the  old  Chism  trail  on 
the  way  to  Kansas.  This  trail  crossed  Red  River  at 
Red  River  Station,  in  this  county.  In  such  large 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  139 

herds  there  was  danger  of  other  people 's  cattle  stray- 
ing into  the  herds.  To  assist  in  restoring  such  cat- 
tle to  their  rightful  owners  the  law  required  these 
cattlemen  to  have  what  was  termed  a  road  brand. 
The  Hide  and  Animal  Inspector  was  stationed  at  Red 
Eiver  and  all  cattle  failing  to  be  branded  with  the 
"road  brand"  were  driven  out  of  the  herd  and 
either  returned  to  the  owner  or  sold  and  the  money 
returned  to  the  owner.  Sometimes  the  officer  would 
receive  letters  from  individuals  two  hundred  miles 
away  describing  their  cattle.  This  office  was  discon- 
tinued about  1882.  Railroad  building  relieved  the 
necessity  for  trail  driving  as  the  cattle  could  now 
be  shipped  by  rail. 

One  of  the  great  incentives  to  immigration  to  an 
unsettled  country  is  the  liberal  land  grants  offered 
by  the  government.  "When  the  settlers  first  came  to 
Montague  County  there  was  no  pre-emption  law. 
Prior  to  January,  1836,  any  citizen  could  take  up 
claims  and  settle  anywhere  they  pleased.  They 
held  what  was  termed  a  "headright  certificate," 
which  entitled  them  to  4,060  45-100  acres  of  land. 
This  law  was  in  force  for  quite  a  while.  In  1859  the 
pre-emptors  had  to  live  on  their  claims  three  years 
and  pay  50  cents  an  acre  for  same. 

In  1870  the  Legislature  created  an  act  giving  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  to  heads  of  families 
and  eighty  acres  to  young  men  without  families. 

This  act  also  forced  them  to  live  on  the  land  three 
years,  erect  a  house  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  sur- 


140  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

vey  the  lines  and  make  application  for  a  patent  right, 
when  he  became  the  legal  owner  of  the  land. 

It  was  but  natural  that  many  would  be  found  who 
were  courageous  enough  to  try  their  fortunes  in 
this  frontier  country. 

There  is  something  wonderfully  inspiring  about 
a  new  country.  And  notwithstanding  the  frontier 
settlements  suffered  heavily  from  Indian  depreda- 
tions, there  was  not  found  wanting  those  who  turned 
their  steps  toward  Montague  County  with  hopeful 
faces.  As  a  first  view  of  this  new  country  burst  upon 
their  vision  they  were  pleased  with  the  prospect.  The 
stretches  of  prairie  were  green  with  vegetation  and 
brilliant  with  wild  flowers,  while  groups  of  timber 
were  dotted  here  and  there.  The  soft  winds  wafted 
sweetest  perfume  to  the  delighted  beholder,  who,  as 
he  surveyed  the  splendid  view  let  thoughts  of  the 
dreaded  Indian  fade  from  his  mind  for  the  moment. 

The  growth  and  subsequent  development  of  Mon- 
tague County  may  be  traced  to  a  single  imperish- 
able feature — "Determination."  The  pioneer  men 
and  women,  who  have  seen  the  county  emerge  from 
savagery  to  civilization,  possessed  this  characteris- 
tic to  a  marked  degree.  It  takes  courage  and  deter- 
mination to  face  the  situation  as  it  existed  in  Mon- 
tague County  at  that  time.  Neighbors  were  few  and 
far  between ;  there  were  no  schools,  no  churches,  no 
telephones,  no  telegraph,  no  railroads,  no  gas,  no 
electric  lights,  no  well  built,  well  furnished  homes, 
no  postoffice  in  the  county,  no  buggies,  no  carriages, 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  141 

no  cooking  stoves,  no  automobiles,  no  pianos,  no 
organs;  as  one  pioneer  expressed  it — no  nothing — 
but  a  country  inhabited  by  warlike  tribes  of  Indians. 
But  there  was  something  in  the  very  nature  of  the 
early  settlers  that  helped  them  to  overcome  difficul- 
ties and  brought  civilization,  with  all  of  its  attend- 
ant comforts,  to  their  door. 

The  county,  despite  the  dangerous  times,  was  not 
without  a  halo  of  romance.  Many  a  young  bride 
went  to  housekeeping  as  happy  in  her  modest  log 
cabin  and  crude  surroundings  as  a  princess  in  a  pal- 
ace. The  first  marriage  in  the  county  was  that  of 
Sam  Spray  and  Miss  Bradin. 

A  marriage  around  which  much  interest  centered 
was  that  of  W.  B.  Savage  and  Miss  Liza  Ann  Taylor 
in  1857.  This  was  the  first  wedding  to  occur  on 
Denton  Creek.  This  estimable  couple  have  lived  in 
Montague  County  ever  since.  They  have  known  the 
county  in  its  stormiest  days  and  in  its  periods  of 
peace  and  prosperity.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  visit  in 
their  good  home.  During  this  period  there  was  no 
such  institution  as  a  public  school.  If  there  had 
been  the  people  would  have  been  too  keenly  alive  to 
the  danger  of  their  children  being  killed  or  captured 
by  the  Indians  to  have  allowed  them  to  go.  The 
first  school  taught  on  Denton  Creek  was  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1860. 

This  school  was  taught  in  a  private  house  that 
stood  where  Dace  McDonald's  place  now  stands. 
Later  a  double  log  house  was  built  which  served  for 


142  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

both  school  and  church.     It  was  built  on  Cash  Mc- 
Donald's land,  two  miles  southeast  of  Denver. 

The  first  school  taught  in  the  county  was  in  the 
summer  of  1858.  The  school  house  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Ferryman  graveyard,  near  Forrestburg. 

These  schools  w^ere  subscription  schools,  as  there 
was  no  public  money  to  pay  salaries.  About  this 
time  schools  began  to  spring  up  in  different  settle- 
ments. Names  of  three  of  the  early  teachers  were 
obtained :  Sweet,  Seely  and  J.  T.  Bellows. 

The  pioneer  teacher  took  his  gun  with  him  to 
school  as  regularly  as  he  took  his  lunch,  not  know- 
ing what  moment  he  would  be  called  upon  to  protect 
his  pupils  and  himself  from  an  attack  by  the  sav- 
ages. 

The  pioneer  settlements  were  not  without  the 
preacher  and  the  missionary,  who  went  about  doing 
good.  How  many  homes  these  humble  men  of  God 
have  blessed  will  never  be  known.  Toiling  all  the 
week,  just  as  their  neighbors  did,  to  obtain  the  neces- 
saries of  life  for  their  families.  On  Saturday  they 
would  saddle  their  horse,  put  the  well  worn  Bible 
in  the  saddle  bags,  which  was  thrown  across  the 
saddle  and  start  on  a  dangerous  journey  to  some 
distant  settlement  to  preach  the  word  of  God.  Those 
days  knew  no  hired  preachers.  Salaries  were  un- 
heard of.  "What  pay  they  received  was  in  provisions 
of  different  kinds.  No  well  prepared,  well  written 
sermon  of  thirty  minutes  would  have  been  tolerated. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  143 

On  the  contrary,  the  people  went  expecting  to  stay 
several  hours,  and  were  rarely  disappointed. 

In  summer  the  brush  arbor  was  built  and  the 
people  would  come  together  in  good  old  camp  meet- 
ing fashion,  where  they  could  worship  together  and 
sing  those  religious  songs  so  dear  to  our  mothers : 
"How  Firm  a  Foundation,77  "On  Jordan's  Stormy 
Banks  I  Stand,77  and  "There  Is  a  Fountain  Filled 
With  Blood.77 

The  following  story  is  told  by  an  early  preacher 
in  "Flowers  and  Fruits  of  Texas,77  which  abundant- 
ly illustrates  the  truth  of  the  hardships  they  en- 
dured, not  only  during  the  days  of  that  period,  but 
all  through  the  pioneer  days  which  followed : 

"On  a  certain  trip  in  the  month  of  March,  while 
passing  from  one  settlement  to  another,  I  found  a 
creek  swimming,  about  midway  between  these  two 
points.  About  two  hours  were  lost  in  my  efforts  to 
head  the  swimming  water.  It  was  very  cold,  and  I 
dreaded  it.  Finally  my  horse  was  plunged  into  the 
swollen  stream.  He  swam  with  me  to  the  opposite 
bank  without  any  difficulty,  but  as  he  struggled 
amid  obstructions  on  the  opposite  side  I  was  com- 
pelled to  dismount  in  the  water  and  give  the  animal 
assistance.  My  boots  were  full  of  water,  and  my 
clothing  thoroughly  saturated.  A  blue  Texas  norther 
whistled  around  my  ears  and  appeared  almost  to 
penetrate  my  quivering  limbs,  as  I  mounted  the 
horse  at  4  o7clock  in  the  evening,  with  twenty-five 
miles  lying  stretched  between  me  and  my  destination, 


144  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

and  not  a  single  house  on  the  way  that  I -knew  of. 
To  my  great  surprise  and  gratification,  after  travel- 
ing about  eight  miles,  my  clothing  now  freezing,  I 
came  suddenly  upon  a  camp  by  the  roadside,  made 
since  my  February  trip. 

"Here  was  a  good  fire,  a  little  log  cabin,  covered, 
no  floor,  cracks  not  lined,  and  no  chimney.  A  fa- 
miliar voice  was  recognized,  and  a  brother  whom  1 
had  known  long  ago,  invited  me  to  share  with  him 
for  the  night  the  comforts  of  his  camp.  He  had 
been  there  only  a  short  time,  had  no  corn  for  my 
horse,  and  his  wagon,  sent  below  for  supplies,  could 
not  return  because  of  the  high  waters.  It  was 
eighteen  miles  now  to  the  end  of  my  journey,  with 
two  dangerous  streams  to  swim.  Although  the  horse 
must  shiver  all  night  as  he  nipped  the  short  spring 
grass,  and  although  the  missionary  was  told  the 
family  had  neither  meat  nor  bread,  he  decided  to 
tarry  for  the  night. 

"It  was  by  this  time  almost  sunset,  and  as  I  drew 
off  my  boots  and  exposed  my  wet  and  almost  frozen 
feet  to  the  fire,  the  good  sister  gave  me  a  cup  of 
coffee. 

"The  wind,  'tis  true,  whistled  through  the  open 
cracks  in  the  new  log  cabin,  but  this  was  far  bet- 
ter than  shivering  all  night  alone  on  the  bank  of 
some  swollen  stream.  While  drinking  my  coffee  1 
inquired  if  her  husband  had  guns  and  ammunition. 
This  was  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

"I  asked  if  the  dogs  would  tree  turkeys.    To  this 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  145 

a  like  answer  was  returned.  Still  drinking  my  coffee 
I  ordered  the  guns  put  in  good  order,  assuring  the 
family  that  my  "Master"  had  a  storehouse  down  in 
the  adjacent  creek  bottom,  and  that  we  would  soon 
have  plenty  of  meat. 

"I  soon  passed  out  of  the  cabin  with  the  little 
boy  and  the  dogs  at  my  heels.  The  dogs,  under- 
standing what  was  wanted,  preceded  us  into  the 
creek  bottom,  some  half  mile  distant,  and  soon  the 
fluttering  turkeys  were  seeking  protection  in  the 
trees.  I  was  on  the  ground  in  double  quick,  and 
saw  a  fine  gobbler  perched  upon  a  limb  almost  right 
over  my  head.  Here  I  was  much  perplexed.  The 
turkey  stretched  his  long  neck  and  turned  his  eye 
sidewise  on  me,  uttering,  'Put!  put!7  But  the  old 
rifle  in  my  hand  had  a  flint  and  steel  lock,  and,  hold- 
ing the  gun  up  in  a  perpendicular  position,  I  feared 
when  the  pan  flew  open  that  the  powder,  instead  of 
taking  fire,  would  empty  itself  in  my  eyes.  But  lit- 
tle time  was  given  to  hesitation,  and  taking  aim  I 
shut  both  eyes  and  pulled  the  trigger.  Fortunately 
down  came  the  trigger  and  no  powder  entered  my 
eyes.  By  the  time  it  was  dark  we  went  back  to 
camp  with  several  turkeys.  One  was  immediately 
dressed  and  hung  before  the  fire  in  regular  back- 
woods style.  This  was  truly  an  earnest  time  for  the 
preacher  and  the  family. 

"The  clothing  I  wore  was  getting  a  little  more 
comfortable.  But  on  opening  my  saddle  bags  I 


146  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

found  everything  saturated  with  water  from  the 
creek  I  swam  in  the  afternoon. 

( '  My  heart  was  very  sad  when  I  found  my  old  Je- 
rusalem Blade  and  the  old  Concordance  I  had  carried 
twenty-five  years  perfectly  wet.  Everything  was 
spread  before  the  fire  and  the  turkey  and  coffee 
tasted  with  a  sharp  relish.  Texans  are  famous  for 
good,  strong  coffee,  and  the  flavor  of  that  turkey  was 
beyond  description. 

"The  night's  rest  was  quite  refreshing,  and  as 
the  clear  golden  sunbeams  of  the  morning  appeared, 
we  thanked  God  together  for  spiritual  and  temporal 
blessings.  I  bade  them  good-bye  and  went  on  my 
way  without  further  mishap." 

It  was  nothing  unusual  for  a  minister  to  preach 
with  two  six-shooters  in  his  belt,  while  some  stood 
guard,  that  the  worshipers  might  not  be  taken  una- 
wares by  the  Indians. 


TEXAS  RANGERS. 

The  Texas  rangers  were  organized  in  1859  by  the 
State,  and  a  company  was  stationed  at  Brushy 
Mound,  in  this  county.  The  commander  of  this  com- 
pany was  Captain  John  Scanlon.  They  received  pay 
from  the  State  for  their  services  at  this  time. 

Previous  to  this  they  had  soldiers  stationed  at  Bel- 
knap  and  other  places. 

A  crisis  arose  in  Montague  County  when  Texas 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  147 

seceded  from  the  Union.  Not  only  were  they  called 
upon  to  raise  companies  for  the  Confederate  service, 
but  after  the  secession  the  Federal  troops  were  with- 
drawn and  the  frontier  was  left  practically  unpro- 
tected from  the  Indians.  Indian  attacks  were  be- 
coming so  frequent  that  it  became  necessary  for  the 
men  to  organize  what  was  called  "minute  men"  or 
"home  militia"  for  the  protection  of  their  lives  and 
property. 

This  organization  was  a  branch  of  the  Confederate 
service  and  subject  to  their  regulation.  After  the 
war  these  companies  disbanded,  and  the  government 
put  in  Northern  soldiers.  These  companies,  how- 
ever, were  not  large  enough  to  afford  a  sufficient  pro- 
tection to  the  people. 

After  the  election  of  Governor  Pease  he  ordered  a 
regiment  of  rangers  down  the  frontier  to  protect 
the  settlers  from  the  Indian  attacks.  Bud  Morris, 
who  was  a  State  ranger  on  the  frontier  during  the 
war,  was  made  captain  of  the  first  company,  and 
Levi  Ferryman  was  appointed  captain  of  the  sec- 
ond company.  They  were  given  one  hundred  men 
each. 

Scarcely  were  they  organized,  and  before  they  had 
seen  any  service,  they  received  orders  from  General 
Canby  of  San  Antonio  to  disband.  Immediately  fol- 
lowing this  Bud  Morris  went  to  New  Orleans  to  in- 
terview General  Hancock,  commander  of  the  Fifth 
Military  District.  He  laid  before  him,  in  strong 
terms,  a  plea  for  the  protection  of  the  helpless  fron- 


148  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

tier  against  the  merciless  Indians.  But  all  to  no  pur- 
pose. The  general  replied  to  his  request  very  cour- 
teously, but  told  him  it  was  against  the  policy  of 
the  government  to  allow  Southern  men  to  be  in  arms, 
that  he  would  furnish  ample  protection.  This  he 
failed  to  do.  Mr.  Morris  returned  and  assisted  in 
organizing  the  home  guards  and  the  settlers  de- 
fended their  homes  as  best  they  could.  After  the 
new  Constitution  was  adopted,  when  every  citizen 
was  allowed  to  vote,  the  first  officers  elected  were 
(so  far  as  could  be  learned)  : 

W.  T.  Wayborne,  Sheriff  and  Collector. 

Bud  Morris,  District  and  County  Clerk. 

J.  A.  Gordon,  Chief  Justice. 

According  to  the  Constitution  adopted  in  1869 
each  justice  of  the  peace  assessed  taxes  in  his  own 
precinct.  There  was  at  this  time  only  four  precincts 
in  the  county.  They  held  what  was  termed  police 
court,  now  called  "commissioners'  court."  The 
Chief  Justice  (instead  of  a  County  Judge,  as  we  now 
have)  presided  over  this  court  when  the  precincts 
were  called  together.  The  Chief  Justice  performed 
the  regular  duties  of  the  justice  of  the  peace,  mar- 
rying people,  issuing  writs,  etc.  All  cases  that  are 
now  tried  in  our  county  courts  were  then  tried  in 
the  district  court.  The  authority  of  the  Chief  Jus- 
tice extended  to  about  the  same  authority  our  jus* 
tice  of  the  peace  now  exercises. 

Cattle  raising  was  the  principal  pursuit  for  many 
years.  As  has  been  stated,  the  Indians  were  a  great 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  149 

drawback  to  farming.  They  would  steal  the  horses, 
leaving  nothing  but  oxen  to  plough  with,  and  many 
times  would  kill  them.  Men  ploughed  wearing  two 
six-shooters  in  their  belts  and  a  Spencer  rifle  on  the 
plow  as  protection  from  the  Indians.  After  the  last 
Indian  killing,  which  is  recounted  in  another  chap- 
ter, immigration  from  other  States  commenced  and 
rapidly  increased  under  the  new  impulse  and  en- 
couragement given  by  the  knowledge  that  the  dread- 
ed Indian  foe  was  subdued  at  last. 

In  the  following  chapters  we  will  study  something 
of  the  progress  our  county  has  made  from  1858  to 
1912,  a  period  of  fifty-four  years — a  little  more  than 
half  a  century. 

THE  SOUTHLAND. 

There  the  slow  river  glides  down  to  the  sea; 
There  the  wind  quivers  the  vine  and  the  tree; 
There  the  bird  voices  give  life  to  the  air; 
All  earth  rejoices  and  nature  is  fair; 
There  the  shy  springtime  first  stops  on  her  way, 
Careless  what  King  Time  or  "Winter  may  say ; 
There  every  flower  gives  home  to  a  bee; 
There  every  hour  is  happy  and  free. 

Hearts  there  are  truthful,  and  friendship  is  dear, 
Growing  more  youthful  with  love  every  year. 
Honor  a  boast  is,  o'er  all  and  before 
Kindness  stands  hostess  at  each  Southern  door; 


150  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Breezes  are  blowing  o'er  valley  and  hill; 
Blossoms  are  snowing  in  memory  still. 
Northland  is  home,  though,  and  there  must  I  be ; 
Where'er  I  roam,  though,  the  Southland  for  me. 

—By  S.  J.  Burnett. 


THE  UNITED  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  CON- 
PEDERACY. 

The  boys  and  girls  of  our  county  should  become 
familiar  with  what  the  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy  stand  for,  and  why  the  Southern  women 
engage  in  the  work  the  organization  requires.  Such 
an  organization  exists  in  Montague  County  and  has 
its  place  in  the  history  of  the  county,  and  the  records 
would  not  be  complete  without  reference  to  the  work 
of  this  society. 

The  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy 
had  its  inception  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where 
it  was  the  outcome  of  the  women  of  that 
city  to  create  a  greater  interest  in  preserv- 
ing the  spirit  and  historic  achievements  of  the 
South.  Its  objects  have  often  been  stated  as  being 
memorial,  historical,  benevolent,  educational  and  so- 
cial— to  give  honor  to  the  memory  of  those  who 
served  and  those  who  fell  in  the  service  of  the  Con- 
federate States. 

To  record  the  part  taken  by  the  Confederate  wom- 
en in  patient  endurance  and  patriotic  devotion  dur- 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  151 

ing  the  struggle,  as  well  as  untiring  effort  during  the 
reconstruetion  which  followed ;  to  collect  and  pre- 
serve the  material  for  a  true  history  of  the  war  be- 
tween the  States;  to  preserve  historic  places  of  the 
Confederacy;  to  fulfill  the  sacred  duties  of  charity 
to  the  survivors  of  that  war  and  their  dependants; 
to  help  educate  the  needy  descendants  of  the  worthy 
Confederates  and  to  cherish  the  bonds  of  friendship 
among  the  members  of  the  society.  With  these  noble 
purposes  in  view  they  have  accomplished  much  im- 
portant work.  The  first  organization  of  this  kind 
in  Texas  was  in  1894.  It  was  not  long  after  this 
until  other  Texas  cities  founded  similar  organiza- 
tions, and  a  State  division  was  formed.  Mrs.  Kate 
Cabell  Currie  of  Dallas  was  chosen  as  the  first  pres- 
ident of  the  division.  Under  her  leadership  the 
chapters  received  much  encouragement. 

Their  efforts  soon  broadened,  and  with  the  desire 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  Southern  soldiers, 
they  caused  monuments  to  be  erected  in  their  honor 
in  different  cities  in  the  State  of  Texas.  The  men- 
tion of  one  occasion  in  particular  will  serve  to  show 
the  loyalty  of  the  United  Daughters  of  the  Confed- 
eracy on  many  similar  occasions. 

In  the  city  of  Dallas,  on  May  18,  1896,  the  ground 
was  broken  for  the  foundation  of  a  great  monu- 
ment to  the  Confederacy.  This  monument  was  to 
be  erected  in  the  City  Park.  Many  of  the  veterans 
of  this  county  will  remember  the  invitation  sent  out 
to  come  and  pay  honor  to  the  Confederate  heroes. 


152  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

The  invitation  read,  "Come  on  April  28  and  29, 1897, 
for  the  monument  is  completed,  and  it  is  a  thing  of 
beauty  and  glory,  for  not  only  is  the  private  on  his 
column  of  gray,  but  our  chieftains  are  there,  too, 
ready  as  of  old,  to  stand  watch  and  guard  in  sun- 
shine and  in  rain.  Yes,  come  to  the  love  feast  we 
have  prepared  for  you,  and  to  the  unveiling  ceremo- 
nies, for  the  private  is  on  his  pinnacle  of  glory,  and 
on  pedestals  at  the  base  are  life-size  statues  of  Jef- 
ferson Davis,  Generals  Robert  E.  Lee,  Stonewall 
Jackson  and  Albert  Sidney  Johnston/' 

From  the  Capital  City  of  Austin  came  Governor 
Culberson  to  show  honor  to  the  Southern  soldier. 
The  Legislature  closed  its  doors,  and  the  lawmakers 
came  to  show  their  appreciation  of  the  noble  efforts 
of  the  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  (for  it 
was  through  their  untiring  effort  that  the  monument 
was  builded),  and  to  do  honor  to  the  defenders  of 
their  homes.  A  great  multitude  had  assembled  from 
all  parts  of  the  State  and  from  other  States.  Flags 
were  floating,  banners  waving,  the  bands  were  play- 
ing, the  bugles  calling — the  very  atmosphere  was 
charged  with  patriotism.  The  band  took  up  the 
strains  of  "Dixie."  This  brought  forth  the  old 
rebel  yell,  and  the  people  went  wild  with  enthusi- 
asm. It  was  on  this  occasion  that  Mrs.  Kate  Cabell 
Currie  was  presented  with  a  magnificent  jeweled 
badge  as  a  token  of  appreciation  of  her  faithfulness 
to  the  cause. 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  153 

The  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  of  this 
State  have  wrought  nobly. 

The  following,  according  to  statistics,  are  some 
of  the  things  they  have  accomplished : 

They  have  carefully  examined  the  histories  taught 
in  the  schools,  correcting  errors  where  possible, 
calling  attention  to  the  bravery  of  the  Confederate 
soldier,  explaining  to  the  young  the  causes  of  the 
war  between  the  States;  have  secured  burial  plots 
for  those  whose  families  were  unable  to  provide  them 
and  marked  the  graves  with  simple  marble  head- 
stones bearing  their  names  and  the  company  with 
which  they  served. 

The  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  was 
organized  in  Bowie,  Montague  County,  Texas,  on 
the  28th  of  February,  1900,  and  has  a  membership 
of  twenty-seven.  The  present  officers  are :  Mrs. 
William  A.  Ayres,  president;  first  vice  president, 
Mrs.  C.  C.  Hutchison;  second  vice  president,  Miss 
Lydia  Benton;  secretary,  Mrs.  Sam  Heard;  treas- 
urer, Miss  Bert  Duncan;  historian,  Mrs.  Edgar  Ed- 
miston. 

This  chapter  has  contributed  in  many  ways  to 
the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  the  Confederate  vet- 
erans of  this  county.  They  have  served  elegant  din- 
ners in  their  honor,  and  in  1912  they  lighted  the 
Bowie  old  soldiers'  reunion  grounds  with  electricity. 
They  have  had  a  line  of  wire  run  from  the  light 
plant  and  placed  lights  in  the  pavilion  at  the  bar- 


154  HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

becue  pit  and  along  the  amusement  trail.  The  chap- 
ter had  this  work  done  at  their  own  expense.  There 
may  be  other  chapters  in  the  county,  but  the  above 
account  will  serve  to  show  that  Montague  County 
is  not  behind  other  counties  of  the  State  in  paying 
tribute  to  her  soldiers. 

November  12,  1912,  marked  an  epoch-making  pe- 
riod in  the  history  of  the  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy.  For  the  first  time  in  its  history  the 
organization  met  in  other  than  a  Southern  city.  They 
met  in  our  United  States  Capital  City  of  Washing- 
ton for  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  new 
monument  to  the  Confederate  soldiers.  By  act  of 
Congress  several  years  ago  a  certain  section  of  the 
Arlington  National  Cemetery  was  set  apart  for  the 
Confederate  dead.  The  monument  will  stand  in  the 
center  of  this  section.  "When  President  Taft  was  Sec- 
retary of  War  he  granted  to  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia branch  of  the  United  Daughters  of  the  Confed- 
eracy permission  to  erect  this  Confederate  monu- 
ment. Later  the  chapters  throughout  the  entire 
South  enlisted  in  the  work.  In  a  metal  box  placed 
in  the  corner  stone  will  rest  a  copy  of  the  act  of  Con- 
gress authorizing  the  burial  of  the  Confederate  dead 
in  Arlington,  a  copy  of  Secretary  of  War  Taft's  let- 
ter authorizing  the  raising  of  the  monument,  and 
small  silk  replicas  of  the  State  flags  of  the  various 
Southern  States,  and  one  bearing  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  for  the  District  of  Columbia.  The  War  De- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  155 

partment  co-operated  with  the  U.  D.  C.  in  making 
arrangements. 

This  brief  history  of  the  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy  would  not  be  complete  without  telling 
you  something  of  the  life  of  Winnie  Davis.  Perhaps 
no  woman  of  the  South  has  been  more  universally 
beloved  than  Winnie  Davis,  daughter  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  the  first  and  only  President  of  the  Confed- 
eracy. She  holds  a  unique  place  in  Southern  his- 
tory. She  was  the  adopted  daughter  of  the  South, 
and  was  known  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land  as  "The  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy.77 

One  trait  of  character  possessed  by  this  noble 
woman  we  would  do  wrell  to  emulate.  This  trait  was 
loyalty  and  obedience  to  her  father.  Enemies 
sought  to  traduce  her  father 's  fame,  to  destroy  his 
life  and  discredit  his  patriotism,  but  she  was  ever 
the  faithful,  sympathetic  daughter.  To  the  last  she 
was  true  to  his  name,  true  to  the  principles  for  which 
he  struggled  and  true  to  the  people  who  loved  him. 

She  was  much  beloved  in  Montague  County,  and 
her  death  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  South. 

A  beautiful  monument  was  erected  to  her  mem- 
ory in  Richmond,  Va.,  by  contributions  from  chap- 
ters of  the  United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  all 
over  the  South.  It  contains  these  inscriptions :  On 
the  front,  "The  beloved  child  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
President  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  and 
Varina  Howell  Davis."  On  the  right  side,  "Born  in 


156  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

the  Executive  Mansion,  Richmond,  Virginia,  died 
September  18,  1898,  at  Narragansett  Pier,  Rhode 
Island."  On  the  back,  "In  the  flower  of  her  beauty, 
rarely  gifted  in  intellect,  this  noble  woman  trustfully 
rendered  up  her  stainless  soul  to  God  who  gave  it. 
Brave  and  steadfast,  her  loyal  spirit  was  worthy  of 
her  people's  glorious  history."  On  the  left  side 
these  words  appear,  "The  whole  country,  touched 
by  her  blameless  and  heroic  career,  mingled  its  tears 
with  those  who  knew  and  loved  her.  'He  giveth  His 
beloved  sleep. '  :  '  At  the  base  of  the  statue  are  these 
words,  "In  memory  of  Varina  Anne  Davis,  Daugh- 
ter of  the  Confederacy. ' ' 

In  a  memorial  service  held  in  her  honor  Colonel 
Bennett  Young  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  said:  "As  fu- 
ture generations  walk  among  the  reminders  of  a  glo- 
rious past  there  will  be  no  grave  amid  these  re- 
nowned and  sacred  sepulchres  which  will  evoke  pro- 
founder  or  gentler  emotions,  or  call  forth  tenderer 
memories  than  that  of  the  adopted  child  of  the  Con- 
federacy. 

"On  the  banks  of  the  James  River,  close  to  where 
nearly  three  hundred  years  ago  came  the  cavalier, 
imparting  to  Southern  manhood  the  uplifting  power 
of  his  genius,  his  courage  and  his  chivalry;  they 
have  given  her  lasting  sepulchre.  The  breezes  from 
every  hillside,  valley  and  mountain  of  the  Southland 
shall  bear  tenderest  benedictions  to  her  tomb,  and 
the  rippling  waters  of  the  stream  beside  which  she 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  157 

rests — fresh  from  the  mountain  tops  which  pierce 
the  blue  skies  overhanging  the  mighty  Alleghenies — 
shall  murmur  softest  requiem  by  her  grave,  and  as 
these  flow  into  the  mighty  ocean  they  will  be  taken 
up  by  the  chainless  winds  which  sweep  with  un- 
broken power  the  face  of  the  great  deep,  and  in  har- 
monious melody  tell  the  story  to  all  the  world  of  the 
marvelous  and  wondrous  love  of  the  people  who 
fought  for  the  lost  but  glorified  cause  of  the  South, 
for  Winnie  Davis,  the  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy/' 

1  'THE  OLD  COAT  OF  GRAY." 

It  lies  there  alone ;  it  -is  rusted  and  faded, 

With  a  patch  on  the  elbow,  a  hole  in  the  side ; 
But  we  think  of  the  brave  boy  who  wore  it,  and  ever 

Look  on  it  with  pleasure  and  touch  it  with  pride. 
A  history  clings  to  it ;  over  and  over 

We  see  a  proud  youth  hurried  on  to  the  fray, 
With  his  frame  like  the  oaks  and  his  eyes  like  the 
eagle's, 

How  gallant  he  rode  in  the  ranks  of  "The  Gray." 

It  is  rough,  it  is  worn,  it  is  tattered  in  places, 
But  I  love  it  the  more  for  the  story  it  bears, 

A  story  of  courage  in  struggle  with  sorrows, 

And  a  breast  that  bore  bravely  its  burden  of  cares. 

It  is  ragged  and  rusty,  but  once  it  was  shining 
In  the  silkiest  sheen  when  he  wore  it  away; 


158  HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

And  his  face  was  as  bright  as  the  smile  of  the  morn- 
ing, 

When  he  sprang  to  his  place  in  the  "  Ranks  of  the 
Gray." 

There's  a  rip  in  the  sleeve,  and  the  collar  is  tar- 
nished. 

The  buttons  all  gone  with  their  glitter  and  gold; 
'Tis  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  we  reverently  lay  it 

Away  with  the  treasures  and  relics  of  old, 
As  the  gifts  of  love,  solemn,  sweet  and  unspoken, 

And  cherished  as  leaves  from  a  long  vanished  day, 
We  will  keep  the  old  coat  for  the  sake  of  the  loved 
one 

Who  rode  in  the  van  in  the  ranks  of  * l  The  Gray. ' ' 

Shot  through  with  a  bullet,  right  here  in  the  shoul- 
der, 
And   down   there   the   pocket   is   splintered   and 

soiled ; 

Ah !  more — see  the  lining  is  stained  and  discolored ! 
Yes,  blood  drops  the  texture  have  stiffened  and 

spoiled. 

It  came  when  he  rode  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
Charging  down  in  the  battle  one  deadliest  day, 
When  squadrons  of  foemen  were  broken  asunder, 
And  victory  rode  with  the  ranks  of  "The  Gray." 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  159 

Its  memory  is  sweetest  and  sorrow  commingled ; 

To  me  it  is  precious — more  precious  than  gold; 
In  the  rent  and  the  shot  hole  a  volume  is  written, 

In  the  stains  of  the  lining  is  agony  told. 
That  was  long  years  ago,  when  life's  sunny  morning, 

He  rode  with  his  comrades  down  into  the  fray ; 
And  the  old  coat  he  wore  and  the  good  sword  he 
wielded, 

Were  all  that  came  back  from  the  ranks  of  "The 
Gray." 

And  it  lies  here  alone,  I  will  reverence  it  ever — 
The  patch  in  the  elbow,  the  hole  in  the  side — 
For  a  gallanter  heart  never  breathed  than  the  loved 

one 

Who  wore  it  with  honor  and  soldierly  pride. 
Let  me  brush  off  the  dust  from  its  tatter  and  tarnish, 

Let  me  fold  it  up  closely  and  lay  it  away, 
It  is  all  that  remains  of  the  loved  and  the  lost  one, 
Who  fought  for  the  right  in  the  ranks  of  "The 
Gray." 

—"The  Veteran." 

UNITED  CONFEDERATE  VETERANS. 

The  United  Confederate  Veterans  stand  for  proper 
loyalty  to  the  Lost  Cause  and  the  perpetuation  of 
Southern  history.  Many  a  touching  story  could  be 
told  of  how  the  more  fortunate  veterans  have  helped 


160  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

their  comrades  in  distress  and  need.  The  first  United 
Confederate  Veteran  camp  organized  in  Montague 
County  was  called  the  "Bob  Stone  Camp."  It  was 
organized  about  1880.  Bob  Bean  was  chosen  cap- 
tain. The  home  of  this  camp  is  at  Nocona.  The 
camp  has  beautiful  grounds  here,  and  each  year  they 
have  the  pleasure  of  a  reunion  with  their  old  friends 
and  comrades. 

The  Bowie  Pelham  Camp,  No.  572,  United  Confed- 
erate Veterans,  was  organized  in  1895.  The  mem^ 
bership  increased,  reaching  a  total  enrollment  of  one 
hundred  and  two.  In  1901  the  camp  bought  twenty- 
seven  and  one-half  acres  of  land  east  of  town  for 
a  park.  In  1905  a  pavilion  was  built  in  the  park, 
and  since  that  time  improvements  have  been  added 
from  time  to  time.  Three  wells  of  splendid  water 
have  been  drilled  and  the  water  supply  is  abundant- 
ly sufficient  for  all  purposes.  A  large  barbecue  pit 
built  of  stone,  a  mess  house  and  a  long  dining  shed 
with  tables  for  one  hundred  plates  are  a  part  of  the 
conveniences.  The  park  is  all  fenced  and  ample 
hitching  and  camping  grounds  are  provided  for 
those  coming  from  a  distance.  The  camp  has  the 
park  and  all  improvements  entirely  paid  out,  and 
derives  an  annual  revenue  of  $50  from  a  small  por- 
tion of  the  ground,  leased  for  agricultural  purposes. 
The  veterans  take  great  pride  in  their  park,  and 
well  they  may,  for  it  is  one  of  the  finest  in  North- 
west Texas.  Beautiful  groves  are  dotted  here  and 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  161 

i 

there.  Roads  leading  from  town  to  the  park  have 
made  it  easily  accessible. 

Bowie  Pelham  Camp  has  an  annual  reunion.  Once 
in  its  history  it  has  had  the  honor  of  entertaining 
the  State  reunion,  and  once  they  entertained  the  vet- 
erans of  the  Quantrell  and  Shelby  commands.  The 
present  officers  of  the  camp  for  1912  are :  J.  A. 
Cummins,  captain ;  J.  M.  Stallings,  first  lieutenant ; 
J.  F.  Donald,  second  lieutenant;  S.  H.  Lancaster, 
chaplain;  G.  W.  Herron,  adjutant;  J.  W.  Slaughter, 
historian;  F.  G.  Hankins,  color  sergeant. 

It  is  most  interesting  to  listen  to  the  veterans  as, 
in  reminiscent  mood,  they  exchange  stories  of  "be- 
fore the  war,"  "during  the  war"  and  "after  the 
war;"  and  to  see  how  their  eyes  sparkle  and  their 
steps  quicken  to  the  sound  of  Dixie. 

Perhaps  you  do  not  know  who  wrote  the  song 
called  Dixie — for  Dixie's  land  and  the  South  are 
synonymous  terms  the  world  over.  "Dixie"  was 
composed  by  Daniel  Decatur  Emmett  of  Mount  Ver- 
non,  Ohio.  In  his  early  days  he  was  an  actor,  and 
when  he  became  old  and  infirm  the  "Actor's  Fund" 
of  New  York  contributed  five  dollars  a  week  toward 
his  support.  The  contributions  came  regularly  for 
a  long  time,  when,  for  some  unexplained  cause,  they 
were  discontinued.  He  made  an  appeal  for  help  to 
the  South  and  a  generous  amount  was  sent  him. 
The  Southern  people  were  touched  to  learn  of  the 
poverty  of  this  man,  whose  parents  were  Southern 


162  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

born,  and  to  know  that  the  writer  of  "  Dixie, "  the 
most  inspiring  air  known  to  Southern  people,  was 
in  distress.  The  following  history  of  the  song  is 
given  by  a  friend  of  the  composer: 

"This  dear  old  song,  which  has  given  its  author, 
Daniel  Decatur  Emmett,  imperishable  fame,  has  be- 
come so  thoroughly  identified  with  one  section  of  our 
country  that  it  may  be  doubted  whether  or  not  it 
is  entitled  to  be  classed  among  our  national  songs; 
although  it  is  the  opinion  of  a  great  many  that  it 
should  be  so  classed — but  it  is  confidently  asserted 
that  had  it  not  been  for  the  divisions  created  by  the 
great  civil  strife  it  would  have  been  as  popular  in 
the  North  today  as  in  the  South,  since  it  first  came 
out  in  the  North  and  achieved  almost  instant  popu- 
larity there,  the  boys  taking  it  up  on  the  streets.  It 
must  be  generally  conceded,  whether  it  is  sectional 
or  not,  that  there  are  but  few  songs  which  have  more 
power  to  move  a  popular  audience  in  any  geographi- 
cal section  of  our  country  than  has  this  soul-stirring 
melody.  Dixie  was  taken  up  and  adopted  by  the 
South.  This  is  as  Mr.  Emmett  intended  it  should 
be;  he  meant  by  ' Dixie'  the  land  of  the  South,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  testimony.  Dixie  was  written  in 
the  spring  of  1859  and  always  carried  with  it  the 
idea  of  the  South,  which  he  clearly  indicated  by  the 
words,  'The  land  of  cotton/  and  other  like  expres- 
sions. ' ' 

Mr.  Emmett  also  wrote  another  song,  which  be- 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  163 

came  exceedingly  popular  throughout  the  country. 
The  name  of  this  song  was  "Old  Dan  Tucker, " 
and  was  quickly  taken  up  by  the  children, 
but  "Dixie,"  which  has  power  to  raise  a  Southern 
audience  to  its  feet  anywhere,  and  to  cause  a  stir 
of  enthusiasm  among  any  people,  is  perhaps  the  most 
lively  and  inspiring  air  that  the  musical  world  has 
ever  known.  But  the  old  Confederate  veterans  who 
once  marched  to  the  air  of  this  thrilling  melody,  will 
soon  be  gone.  The  morning  for  them  is  over,  and 
the  long  shadows  of  evening  are  gathering  about  the 
followers  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  Stonewall  Jackson  and 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston. 

Be  kind  and  respectful  to  them,  ever  remembering 
that  they  have  given  us  a  splendid  history  of  a  splen- 
did people  who  fought  for  a  splendid  principle.  Be 
as  loyal  to  your  country  as  they  were  to  their 
* '  cause, ' '  and  you  will  make  noble  citizens. 

PROGRESSIVE  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

There  is  an  imaginary  plain  in  the  minds  of  men 
called  "the  plains  of  time." 

If  the  children  of  Montague  County  were  permit- 
ted to  visit  the  highest  point  of  this  plain  and  look 
back  from  that  lofty  view  over  the  ground  that  has 
been  traversed  by  the  pioneers  of  this  county,  what 
would  they  behold  by  way  of  contrast  between  the 
past  and  present  f 


164  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

First  would  come  the  Indian,  the  original  inhabi- 
tant, with  his  war  paint  and  feathers,  sweeping  over 
the  prairies,  accompanied  by  hundreds  of  warriors 
in  pursuit  of  game.  They  would  see  rolling  prairies, 
hills  and  wooded  spots,  with  groups  of  mustang 
ponies  grazing  here  and  there. 

And  what  is  that  queer  looking  animal  just  over 
yonder  with  a  hump  on  its  back? 

That  is  the  buffalo.  They  one  time  roamed  the 
prairies  in  large  herds,  but  the  constant  inroads 
made  upon  them  by  early  hunters  who  came  here 
from  time  to  time  almost  exterminated  them. 

At  present  there  is  a  herd  on  the  "Good  Night 
ranch"  in  West  Texas,  and  a  few  in  Brackenridge 
Park,  in  San  Antonio.  With  these  exceptions  we 
know  of  no  others  left  of  the  vast  herds  that  once 
existed.  The  events  following  the  advent  of  the 
first  white  people  who  came  to  Montague  County  to 
found  their  homes,  the  critical  periods  through 
which  they  passed,  constitute  the  beginning  of  the 
real  history  of  Montague  County. 

What  you  should  seek  to  store  up  in  your  mem- 
ories are  the  efforts  toward  successful  progress  made 
by  these  pioneers. 

A  remarkable  development  has  been  brought  about 
by  the  rapidity  with  which  the  population  of  the 
county  has  increased. 

From  a  comparatively  unsettled  district  in  1857,  it 
has  grown  to  the  present  population  of  24,800  souls. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  165 

Our  natural  resources  have  had  much  to  do  with 
this,  but  they  would  not  avail  without  enterprise 
and  intellect. 

Events  have  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succes- 
sion. "Indian  Depredations,"  "War  and  Recon- 
struction Days/'  all  retarded  the  growth  of  the 
county. 

Agriculture  was  not  followed  extensively  until 
after  1874. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  many  drawbacks,  the  county  has 
steadily  progressed  until  by  contrast  the  student 
can  see,  whereas  in  1874  only  a  few  bales  of  cotton 
were  raised  in  Montague  County,  there  were  grown 
in  1909-10,  21,705  bales. 

Amount  of  cotton  produced  in  the  county,  1910-11, 
28,435  bales. 

While  the  raising  of  cattle,  hogs,  horses,  mules, 
sheep  and  goats  is  not  the  principal  pursuit,  statis- 
tics show  there  are  27,172  cattle,  13,576  horses  and 
mules,  12,714  hogs  and  636  sheep  and  goats  in  the 
county. 

Cotton  raising  is  the  principal  industry,  but  Mon- 
tague County  early  learned  that  her  soil  was  adapted 
to  many  growths. 

The  coming  of  the  railroad  in  1882  gave  immedi- 
ate facilities  for  transportation  and  the  people  were 
not  slow  to  take  advantage  of  it. 

After  this  period  fruit  farming  was  engaged  in 
extensively,  and  where  can  there  be  found  peaches, 


166  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

apples  or  pears  grown  to  greater  perfection  than  in 
the  orchards  of  Montague  County. 

Apples  from  the  Davis  apple  orchard  at  Fruitland, 
this  county,  took  first  prize  at  the  St.  Louis  World's 
Fair. 

Thousands  of  bushels  of  fruit  of  different  varie- 
ties are  shipped  to  other  markets  from  Montague 
County,  while  an  abundance  remains  for  home  con- 
sumption. 

The  people  are  coming  to  believe  more  and  more 
in  diversified  farming,  and  large  crops  of  berries,  po- 
tatoes, peanuts  and  grapes  are  grown  each  year. 

Market  gardening  is  being  developed  on  a  larger 
scale,  splendid  crops  of  tomatoes  and  other  vege- 
tables being  grown  for  market. 

Corn,  oats,  wheat  and  alfalfa  are  also  grown  suc- 
cessfully. 

Intensive  methods  of  farming  are  being  observed, 
and  some  wonderful  crops  have  been  raised  by  sci- 
entific methods,  and  some  surprising  results  have 
been  obtained  from  unresponsive  soil  by  following 
the  advice  of  government  farm  experts. 

The  " Boys'  Corn  Clubs"  are  creating  a  great  deal 
of  interest  along  this  line. 

This  has  been  the  greatest  century  in  civil  and 
political  progress,  as  well  as  inventions  to  be  ap- 
plied to  industrial  life. 

In  no  field  of  effort  have  inventors  been  more  ac- 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  167 

tive  or  their  results  been  more  successful  than  in  the 
invention  of  labor  saving  devices. 

Montague  County  has  shared  in  the  use  of  these 
inventions  and  who  among  us  can  fail  to  appreci- 
ate the  worth  this  has  been  to  agriculture? 

Compare  the  progress  from  the  old  time  sickle  and 
scythe,  the  old-fashioned  plow  and  spade,  and  the 
hand  gathered  harvest  to  the  present  modern  imple- 
ments that  have  so  marvelously  increased  the  work- 
ing power  of  the  farmer. 

Probably  no  American  inventions  have  been  more 
widely  used  than  the  new  agricultural  machines, 
cultivators,  planters,  seeders,  reapers,  mowers,  har- 
vesters, corn  huskers  and  shellers  and  numerous 
other  labor  saving  inventions  which  have  added  thou. 
sands  of  dollars  to  the  farmers'  bank  account. 

In  marked  contrast  to  the  rude  log  cabins  of  the 
early  settlers  are  the  cosy,  comfortable,  beautiful 
homes  now  to  be  seen  in  every  part  of  the  county. 

Civic  attractiveness  is  getting  a  great  hold  on 
the  people,  and  it  is  the  ambition  of  nearly  every 
home  owner  to  beautify  his  grounds. 

Children  are  being  taught  the  value  and  beauty  of 
trees  and  flowers.  Many  of  the  smaller  children  have 
their  little  plots  of  ground  for  their  very  own,  where 
they  can  cultivate  flowers  and  vegetables. 

In  early  days  a  "road  working"  was  unknown, 
from  the  simple  fact  that  they  had  no  roads,  nor 
were  there  any  bridges  across  the  creeks. 


168  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Imagine  starting  across  the  country  with  a  heavily 
laden  wagon  drawn  by  slow  moving  oxen,  blazing 
out  your  own  road  and  crossing  the  creeks  as  best 
you  could,  and  you  will  have  some  idea  of  the  means 
of  transportation  in  the  fifties. 

Today  Montague  County  is  greatly  interested  in 
the  road  question.  A  special  road  tax  of  15  cents 
on  the  hundred  dollars  is  used  to  improve  the  pub- 
lic highways  of  the  county,  and  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  see  the  citizens  wearing  a  button  that  an- 
nounces to  the  world  that,  "I  favor  pike  roads."  All 
of  this  has  tended  to  enhance  the  value  of  land. 

In  the  early  days  some  of  the  best  land  in  the 
county  sold  as  low  as  $3  per  acre.  Now,  improved 
land  ranges  in  price  from  $15  to  $50  per  acre. 

Unimproved  land  is  quoted  at  $8  to  $12  per  acre. 

Water  is  obtained  at  an  average  depth  of  fifty  feet. 

The  rainfall  approximates  thirty-two  inches  per 
annum. 

The  upland  farming  section  is  composed  mostly 
of  a  sandy  loam.  This  soil  holds  the  moisture  well, 
consequently  it  does  not  require  as  much  rain  to  pro- 
duce a  crop  as  other  soils.  The  elevation  of  the 
county  varies.  At  Montague,  the  county  seat,  it  is 
1075  feet.  Along  the  streams  is  to  be  found  a  black 
sandy  loam  with  stretches  of  deep  clay.  Wild  grape 
vines,  dogwood,  walnut,  pecan,  cottonwood  and  elm 
trees  flourish,  while  in  the  springtime  the  trees  are 
filled  with  songsters,  the  ground  is  carpeted  with 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  169 

violets,  and  the  woods  are  redolent  with  the  odor 
of  wild  plum  blossoms. 

A  red  clay  is  found  in  the  valleys. 

The  surface  is  undulating  and  about  equally  di- 
vided between  prairie  and  timber.  Traces  of  oil 
have  been  found  and  many  farms  in  the  county  have 
been  leased  to  oil  companies  for  the  purpose  of  de- 
veloping this  industry.  The  trees  of  this  section, 
with  a  few  exceptions  on  the  bottom  lands,  do  not 
grow  to  a  very  great  size.  Other  trees  peculiar  to 
this  county  are  the  postoak,  liveoak  and  black  jack. 

While  the  timber  was  not  very  large  it  furnished 
the  only  material  at  hand  for  constructing  the  first 
homes  of  the  county,  some  of  which  are  still  stand- 
ing as  a  record  of  the  thrift  and  industry  of  those 
days. 

Formerly  the  trees  were  made  into  rails  with 
which  the  fences  around  large  tracts  of  land  were 
built. 

The  rail  fence  has  been  relegated  to  the  back- 
ground,  and  in  its  place  is  the  barbed  wire  fence. 
When  this  mode  of  fencing  came  into  use  it  greatly 
reduced  the  labor  of  the  farmers,  for  it  took  a  long 
time  to  make  enough  rails  to  fence  a  farm.  Now 
they  only  have  to  make  the  fence  posts,  to  which 
the  wire  is  fastened  by  means  of  staples. 

The  county  made  wonderful  strides  in  prosperity 
in  these  years. 

Crops  were  abundant  and  the  area  under  cultiva- 


170  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

tion  was  rapidly  increasing.  The  wealth  of  the 
county  had  greatly  increased  and  public  business 
had  become  so  large  that  it  became  necessary  to 
found  a  bank. 

The  first  bank  in  the  county  was  founded  in  1884 
at  Montague. 

Since  then  there  have  been  quite  a  number  of 
banks  instituted  in  the  county,  which  are  generally 
an  evidence  that  a  county  is  prospering. 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  the  county  was 
in  1874.  The  editor  was  Willie  Lyles.  Before  the 
civil  war  his  father  was  one  of  the  wealthiest  law- 
yers in  Memphis,  Tennessee.  He  was  also  a  colonel 
in  the  Confederate  army.  When  the  war  was  over 
he  found  his  father's  wealth  all  gone  and  Willie 
came  to  Texas  to  engage  in  the  newspaper  business. 

He  went  to  Montague  and  there  established  the 
"Montague  News."  A  newspaper  in  those  days  was 
a  precious  article,  and  was  carefully  preserved,  to  be 
referred  to  on  many  occasions. 

Now  the  county  has  a  number  of  well  established 
weekly  newspapers  in  different  towns  of  the  county. 

These  papers  exchange  items  of  interest  from  the 
respective  towns,  and  in  this  way  the  people  are  kept 
in  touch  with  local  affairs  all  over  the  county,  while 
a  large  number  of  our  modern  citizens  would  as 
soon  miss  a  meal  as  to  do  without  their  daily  papers. 

One  of  the  first  stores  in  the  county  was  estab- 
lished at  Montague  in  1858.  This  store  was  owned 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  171 

by  Cox  &  Davis.  They  hauled  their  goods  from 
Shreveport  and  Jefferson,  Louisiana.  With  our  mod- 
ern facilities  we  can  travel  more  quickly  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco  than  the  pioneer  merchant 
could  transport  his  merchandise  from  Louisiana  to 
Texas. 

Now  the  county  has  well  managed,  well  estab- 
lished dry  goods,  grocery,  hardware,  furniture  and 
drug  stores. 

The  people  do  not  have  to  go  away  from  home  for 
any  of  the  necessities  and  but  few  of  the  luxuries 
of  life. 

Few  buggies  or  carriages  were  seen  in  the  early 
eighties.  Now  there  is  scarcely  a  farmer  who  does 
not  possess  either  a  hack,  buggy  or  carriage  for 
family  use. 

Briefly  summed  up,  from  a  thinly  settled  district 
in  the  fifties,  our  county,  through  a  period  of  suc- 
cessive developments,  has  reached  a  high  standard 
of  civilization. 

The  county  has  three  railroads,  the  Fort  Worth 
&  Denver,  the  Chicago  &  Rock  Island  and  the  M.,  K. 
&  T. 

The  church  property  of  the  county  amounts  to 
many  thousands  of  dollars,  most  of  the  various  de- 
nominations being  represented. 

This  is  an  age  of  fraternal  organization,  and  there 
is  considerable  property  throughout  the  country 
owned  by  the  different  lodges. 


172  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Cotton  gins,  flour  mills  and  oil  mills  furnish  em- 
ployment for  a  large  number  of  men. 

There  are  also  two  creameries  in  the  county,  one 
at  Bowie,  the  other  at  Nocona.  The  people  who 
live  along  the  route  traversed  by  the  North  Texas 
Gas  Company  have  the  privilege  of  burning  gas  for 
light  and  fuel.  In  pioneer  days  our  mothers  read 
their  Bibles  by  the  light  of  a  home-made  tallow 
candle,  sitting  before  a  fire  of  logs.  Their  daughters 
read  the  latest  novel  beneath  a  gas  or  an  electric 
light  and  sit  before  a  grate  that  is  heated  by  gas, 
wood  or  coal. 

Had  an  automobile  crossed  the  prairie  at  night 
in  the  early  fifties,  with  its  two  shining  eyes  of  im- 
mense proportions,  and  its  resounding  honk,  honk, 
it  could  have  put  to  flight  a  thousand  superstitious 
Indian  warriors,  and  no  doubt  would  have  created 
a  mild  excitement  among  the  sturdy  settlers. 

The  automobile  is  so  common  in  Montague  County 
now  they  have  long  since  failed  to  create  the  inter- 
est they  did  in  former  days. 

The  county  supports  two  public  institutions,  the 
jail  for  the  detention  of  prisoners  and  the  county 
farm  for  the  care  of  the  indigent. 

A  number  of  the  towns  of  the  county  have  organ- 
ized what  is  known  as  commercial  clubs.  These 
clubs  are  composed  of  public  spirited  citizens  whose 
purpose  is  to  advertise  the  county  and  to  encourage 
activity  along  all  lines  looking  to  the  development 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  173 

of  the  county.  One  of  the  means  by  which  the  ad- 
vancement of  a  city  or  county  may  be  determined 
is  by  the  postoffice  receipts,  county  valuations  anf 
school  enrollment. 

The  property  valuation  of  Montague  County  is 
twelve  million  dollars.  Scholastic  population  of  the 
county,  6233. 

Bowie  is  the  largest  town  in  the  county.  The  post- 
office  receipts  at  this  place  for  the  past  five  years, 
1907-1912,  are  as  follows : 

1907 $8,414.35        1908 $8,779.91 

1909 9,425.92        1910 9,933.84 

1911 9,175.22 

Money  orders  issued  (Domestic).        International 

1907 $5,603  16 

1908 6,094  12 

1909.. 7,321  22 

1910 7,479  27 

1911 7,268  21 

Money  orders  paid  (Domestic).  International 

1907 $2,730  none. 

1908 2,347  none. 

1909 .         2,763  none. 

1910 2,357  none. 

1911 2,689  one. 

Number  of  postoffices  in  the  county,  15;  number 
of  rural  routes  in  the  county,  27. 

Bowie  has  six  rural  routes. 

Poll  tax  paid  for  1911  total  3834. 


174  HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 


EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT  OP  MONTAGUE 
COUNTY. 

What  is  government? 

Ans.     Government  is  defined  as  rule  or  control. 

Why  is  government  necessary  ? 

Ans.  That  the  stronger  may  not  encroach  upon 
the  weaker,  that  justice  may  be  meted  out,  that  prop- 
erty and  personal  rights  may  receive  protection  and 
that  peace  and  order  may  prevail.  Good  government 
is  necessary  to  useful  action. 

Under  what  form  of  government  do  the  people  of 
Montague  County  live  1 

Ans.     A  republican  form  of  government. 

What  is  a  republican  form  of  government? 

Ans.  It  is  a  government  under  which  the  people 
rule  themselves  through  representatives  of  their  own 
selection. 

What  is  a  county? 

Ans.  A  circuit  or  particular  portion  of  a  State  or 
kingdom  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  territory. 

Why  were  counties  organized  ? 

Ans.  For  the  purpose  of  bringing  justice  nearer 
the  people  and  to  establish  a  medium  for  the  transac- 
tions to  be  carried  on  with  the  State. 

How  is  a  county  organized  ? 

Ans.     By  act  of  the  Legislature. 

Do  all  counties  possess  the  same  area  ? 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  175 

Ans.     They  do  not,  but  vary  greatly  in  size  in  dif- 
ferent portions  of  the  State. 

When  was  Montague  County  created? 

Ans.     In  1857. 

When  organized? 

Ans.     In  1858. 

For  whom  was  the  county  named? 

Ans.     For  Colonel  Daniel  Montague. 

What  is  the  area  of  Montague  County  ? 

Ans.     Nine  hundred  and  seventy-six  square  miles. 

In  what  Senatorial  District  is  Montague  County  ? 

Ans.     Thirty-first  Senatorial  District. 

What  counties  does  this  district  embrace? 

Ans.     Montague,  Denton  and  Wise  counties. 

Name  the  different  officers  of  the  county. 

Ans. 

1.  Representative. 

2.  County  Judge. 

3.  County  Clerk. 

4.  County  Attorney. 

5.  County  Treasurer. 

6.  Superintendent  Public  Schools. 

7.  Tax  Assessor. 

8.  District  Clerk. 

9.  Tax  Collector. 

10.  Sheriff. 

11.  County  Commissioners. 

How  many  Commissioners  does  the  county  require? 
Ans.     Three. 


176  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

How  many  Justices  of  the  Peace  does  this  county 
require  ? 

Ans.     Eight. 

How  many  voting  precincts  in  the  county  ? 

Ans.     Twenty-three. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  Representative  ? 

Ans.  To  endeavor  to  bring  about  the  enactment 
of  laws  that  will  be  for  the  interest  and  welfare  of 
the  people. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  County  Judge  ? 

Ans.  He  has  jurisdiction  of  wills  and  estates,  ap- 
points administrators  and  guardians,  holds  examin- 
ing trials  and  appoints  officers  of  election. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  County  Attorney? 

He  is  the  county's  legal  adviser  and  represents  the 
county  in  all  civil  suits  to  which  it  may  be  a  party. 
It  is  his  duty  to  prosecute  the  accused  in  trials  of 
crimes  in  the  county  court  and  in  the  justice's  court. 

Define  the  duties  of  a  County  Clerk. 

The  Clerk  is  the  recording  officer  of  the  county 
court,  issues  writs,  preserves  papers  and  enters  judg- 
ments on  record  and  issues  marriage  license. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  County  Treasurer  ? 

Ans.  He  is  the  chief  financial  officer  of  the  county, 
and  keeps  a  record  of  the  receipts  and  expenditures 
of  the  county.  He  is  required  to  give  bond  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  his  duties. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  Tax  Assessor  ? 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  177 

Ans.  To  get  a  rendition  of  the  property  of  each 
citizen  and  the  valuation  of  same. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  District  Clerk? 

To  compile  the  docket  and  look  after  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  work  of  the  district  court. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  Tax  Collector  ? 

Ans.  To  collect  the  taxes  that  have  been  assessed 
against  the  property  of  the  county. 

What  is  the  duty  of  the  Superintendent  of  Public 
Schools? 

Ans.  It  is  his  duty  to  look  after  the  affairs,  as  con- 
cerns the  welfare  of  our  public  schools.  He  examines 
teachers,  issues  teachers'  certificates,  holds  teachers' 
institutes,  visits  the  schools,  advises  the  teachers  in 
regard  to  their  duties,  and  reports  the  condition  of 
school  interests  to  the  State  Superintendent. 

What  are  the  duties  of  the  Sheriff? 

Ans.  The  Sheriff  is  guardian  of  the  peace  in  the 
county,  and  its  chief  executive  officer.  He  arrests 
persons  charged  with  crime,  serves  writs  and  has 
charge  of  the  county  jail  and  prisoners. 

What  are  the  duties  of  County  Commissioners  ? 

Ans.  They  have  charge  of  the  county  property, 
such  as  the  court  house,  jail,  poor  farm,  etc.,  and 
erect  county  buildings,  construct  county  bridges,  im- 
prove the  public  highways  and  represent  the  county 
as  a  financial  board. 

What  are  the  duties  of  a  Justice  of  the  Peace? 

Ans.     To   preside  over  the  justice   courts,  write 


178  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

deeds,  perform  marriage  ceremonies  and  to  assess 
fines  for  offenses  committed  within  his  jurisdiction. 

Name  the  present  county  officers. 

Name  the  Senator  for  this  district. 

Who  are  the  legal  voters  of  Montague  County  ? 

Ans.  All  male  citizens,  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  in  possession  of  a  poll  tax  receipt,  are  recog- 
nized as  qualified  voters  in  this  county. 

What  is  the  duty  of  a  citizen? 

To  respect  and  obey  the  law,  to  labor  for  the  pub- 
lic welfare,  to  assist  in  securing  justice,  to  submit 
to  the  will  of  the  majority,  to  vote  for  such  candi- 
dates and  measures  that,  according  to  his  judgment, 
will  contribute  most  to  the  public  welfare ;  to  insist 
that  all  children  attend  the  public  schools. 

Upon  the  walls  of  the  Congressional  Library  at 
Washington  are  engraved  these  words,  which  are 
fraught  with  so  much  significance:  "The  founda- 
tion of  every  State  is  the  education  of  its  youth." 
Texas  early  recognized  the  truth  of  these  words.  In 
1839,  during  the  administration  of  President  Lamar, 
an  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  system  of  public 
schools.  President  Lamar,  himself  a  scholar  and  a 
statesman,  in  his  message  to  the  Third  Congress  of 
Texas,  in  1839,  said : 

"The  cultivated  mind  is  the  guardian  genius  of 
democracy,  and  while  guided  and  controlled  by  vir- 
tue, is  the  noblest  attribute  of  man.  It  is  the  only 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  179 


dictator  that  free  men  acknowledge,  and  the  only 
security  that  free  men  desire. ' ' 

In  1839  each  county  was  granted  three  leagues  of 
land  for  school  purposes,  and  in  1840  another  league 
was  added,  while  fifty  leagues  were  set  apart  for  a 
State  University. 

I  would  not  have  you  think  that  during  all  of 
these  pioneer  years  you  have  been  reading  about  that 
the  people  of  Montague  County  were  unmindful  of 
the  importance  of  education.  They  only  awaited 
an  opportunity  to  assist  in  the  advancement  of  public 
schools.  And,  as  will  be  seen,  the  citizens  are  thor- 
oughly alive  to  the  importance  of  public  education. 
In  1839  Montague  County  was  a  wild,  unsettled  re- 
gion, peopled  only  by  the  Indians,  and  it  was  not 
until  thirty-nine  years  later  that  there  was  any  effort 
made  toward  the  development  of  schools.  In  1878 
the  first  public  school  was  taught  in  the  county.  The 
teachers  made  the  best  progress  possible  with  their 
limited  facilities.  From  a  few  poorly  equipped 
schools,  with  small  attendance,  scattered  here  and 
there  in  1880,  the  county  now  has  one  hundred  and 
eight  schools  with  a  property  valuation  of  thousands 
of  dollars,  employing  an  average  of  two  hundred 
teachers  in  the  county.  The  county  has  been  divided 
into  school  districts.  These  are  composed  of  two 
classes :  the  independent  school  district  and  the  com- 
mon school  district.  The  common  school  district  is 
created  by  the  Commissioners'  Court.  The  independ- 


180  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

ent  school  districts  are  incorporated  by  vote  of  the 
people  for  school  purposes  and  created  by  special  act 
of  the  Legislature,  and  cities  and  towns  that  have  as- 
sumed control  of  their  schools. 

There  are  114  counties  in  Texas  which  have  a 
County  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools.  Of  this 
number  Montague  County  is  one.  The  County  Su- 
perintendent has  direct  supervision  of  the  common 
school  districts  and  independent  districts  of  less  than 
150  population  and  receive  their  school  fund  from  the 
county  treasury.  The  Legislature  recently  enacted  a 
law  that  will  be  of  far-reaching  benefit  not  only  to 
the  school  districts  of  Montague  County,  but  to  the 
entire  State.  This  was  the  enactment  of  the  rural 
high  school  law.  This  ]aw  provides  for  a  county 
board  of  education  in  each  county,  and  their  duty 
shall  be  to  classify  the  schools  of  the  county  into  high 
schools,  intermediate  schools  and  primary  schools. 
And  it  will  also  be  their  duty  to  suggest  a  course  of 
study  in  co-operation  with  the  County  Superintend- 
ent, subject  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  State 
Department  of  Education.  At  a  meeting  held  in  this 
county  at  Montague  in  1912  the  County  Board  of 
Trustees  classified  the  schools  of  the  county.  The 
schools  were  classified  under  the  late  school  laws  of 
the  State  as  follows:  In  addition  to  the  Ringgold, 
Spanish  Fort  and  Mallard,  Forrestburg  and  Stone- 
burg  schools,  which  had  previously  been  classed  as 
high  schools,  Dye  Mound,  New  Harp,  Oak  Bluff, 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  181 

Pleasant  Ridge  and  Leona  schools,  were  put  into  the 
high  school  class,  and  all  other  schools  of  the  county 
were  classed  as  intermediate  schools,  with  the  privi- 
lege of  teaching  high  school  subjects,  provided  they 
employ  two  teachers,  one  of  whom  must  hold  a  first 
grade  certificate.  The  independent  school  districts  of 
the  county  are  not  under  the  control  of  the  County 
Board  of  Trustees.  The  County  Board  for  1912  is 
composed  of  Dr.  W.  W.  Grain  of  Nocona,  chairman ; 
W.  S.  Taylor,  Queen's  Peak;  W.  F.  Landers,  Forrest- 
burg  ;  W.  G.  Bralley,  Montague ;  0.  P.  Hill,  Eureka. 
County  Superintendent  W.  W.  Snodgrass  is  secre- 
tary of  the  County  Board. 

This  extension  of  our  school  system  ought  to  stim- 
ulate the  desire  of  the  pupils  to  enjoy  these  larger 
opportunities.  Education  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant subjects  that  can  claim  the  attention  of  the  boys 
and  girls  of  Montague  County.  National  history 
abundantly  illustrates  the  truth  that  the  power  and 
poise  of  the  person  of  education  cannot  be  estimated. 
But  let  us  remember,  pupils,  that  education  is  not 
to  make  us  appear  greater  to  the  world,  but  that 
the  world  may  appear  greater  to  us,  and  that  this 
thought  may  help  us  to  take  a  broader  view  of  life, 
and  enable  us  to  impart  beauty  and  richness  and 
grace  to  other  lives.  This  is  the  duty  we  owe  the 
world.  Education  only  fits  us  to  better  carry  out 
that  duty.  Speaking  of  teachers,  their  desire  to  have 
their  pupils  advance,  etc.,  our  county  teachers  have 


182  HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

the  privilege  of  attending  one  of  three  State  Nor- 
mals— the  Sam  Houston  Normal,  located  at  Hunts  - 
ville;  the  North  Texas  Normal,  located  at  Denton, 
and  the  West  Texas  Normal,  located  at  Canyon  City. 
The  third  grade  certificate  which  once  existed  in 
our  county  has  been  abolished,  and  each  year 
makes  it  harder  for  the  teacher  holding  a  second 
grade  certificate  to  obtain  a  school.  All  teachers, 
before  they  are  qualified  to  teach  in  the  high  school 
grades,  must  possess  a  first  grade  certificate. 

The  scholastic  population  of  Montague  County  in 
1911  was  6,156 ;  in  1910,  6,233.  There  is  every  evi- 
dence of  progress  in  the  school  life  of  the  county  in 
the  numerous,  modern,  well  equipped  school  build- 
ings in  various  parts  of  the  county.  Montague  Coun- 
ty's apportionment  of  State  school  fund  in  1911- 
12  was  $41,860.80.  Twenty  years  ago  local  school  tax 
was  unknown  in  Montague  County,  now  the  school 
tax  approximates  $50,000  per  year.  This  money  is 
paid  by  the  people  for  the  maintenance  of  public 
schools.  The  local  school  tax  was  first  voted  in  this 
county  in  1886.  Liberty  Chapel  was  the  first  school 
in  Montague  County  to  take  this  step.  The  average 
school  term  has  increased  from  seventy-five  days  to 
one  hundred  days,  showing  an  increase  of  twenty-five 
days  over  the  old  terms.  Montague  County  boasts  of 
a  splendid  business  college.  This  school  is  located  in 
Bowie  and  is  known  as  the  Bowie  Commercial  Col- 
lege. They  have  an  actual  business  system  that  is 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  183 

invaluable  to  the  pupil.  The  youngest  bank  presi- 
dent in  the  South  is  a  graduate  of  this  college.  A 
distinctly  modern  innovation  in  the  public  schools  is 
the  organization  of  the  Mother's  Club.  This  organ- 
ization co-operates  with  the  teachers  and  pupils, 
striving  to  bring  their  interests  closer  together,  and 
enleavoring  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  civic  pride,  and, 
by  the  assistance  of  the  teachers,  create  within  the 
child  a  love  for  the  beautiful  in  surroundings.  This 
county  has  a  number  of  towns,  Bowie  being  the  larg- 
est town  in  the  county,  having  a  population  of  five 
thousand.  Other  towns  of  the  county  are  Sunset, 
Fruitland,  Denver,  Kinggold,  Stoneburg,  Belcher, 
Nocona,  Bonita,  Mallard,  Forrestburg,  Dye  Mound, 
Uz,  New  Harp,  Hardy,  Gladys,  Spanish  Fort  and 
Montague.  Montague  is  the  county  seat.  Mon- 
tague County  is  bordered  on  the  north  by  Red  River, 
but  has  no  rivers  flowing  through  the  county.  There 
are  a  number  of  streams  in  the  county — Sandy, 
Brushy,  Elm,  Denton,  Clear  Creek,  Mountain  Creek, 
Belknap,  Salt  Creek  and  Farmers'  Creek. 

When  we  review  the  history  of  Montague  County 
from  its  organization  in  1858  on  through  the  various 
changes  down  to  1912  we  ask  ourselves  the  ques- 
tion, Why  should  we  be  always  looking  back  into  the 
past  ages  for  examples  of  heroism?  Why  not  study 
some  lessons  of  patriotism  at  home?  These  lessons 
are  taught  in  the  lives  of  our  own  fathers.  Such  is 
the  history  of  Montague  County. 


184  HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Years  have  passed  since  the  first  settlements  were 
made.  Now  it  is  filled  with  beautiful  farms,  and 
teeming  with  towns,  railroads,  schools  and  churcne». 

Discord  and  contention,  though  bitter  while  they 
lasted,  have  borne  only  the  peaceful  fruit  of  har- 
mony, and  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  Texas  counties 
has  entered  upon  a  splendid  career  and  the  ample 
foundation  of  a  prosperous  and  successful  citizenship 
has  been  securely  laid. 


PATRIOTISM. 

This  book  will  have  lost  its  purpose  if  it  fails  to 
instill  within  our  growing  citizens  a  feeling  of  pa- 
triotism for  their  county,  their  State  and  their  coun- 
try. When  it  is  said  that  patriotism  is  an  important 
question,  it  is  said  in  the  fullest  expression  of  the 
term.  It  is  important  because  it  involves  principles 
of  home  and  national  pride. 

Patriotism  is  a  rich  heritage,  and  it  is  upon  this  in- 
heritance that  the  security  of  our  nation  is  resting. 
On  it  depends  a  happy  people. 

Unpatriotic  people  are  restless,  dissatisfied,  hard  to 
please.  Look,  for  example,  at  the  mass  of  foreign 
element  constantly  pouring  into  our  country.  They 
come  to  our  glorious  shores  for  freedom,  glad  to  leave 
their  mother  country,  to  breathe  the  patriotic  air  of 
America,  where  they  train  desirable  citizens  for  wor- 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  185 

thy  missions.  The  time  has  come  when  the  faith  of 
the  boys  and  girls  must  be  strengthened  by  thoughts 
of  constancy.  This  virtue  is  taught  in  the  annals  of 
the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  and  in  the  lives  of 
the  first  defenders  of  this  country.  We  should  never 
lose  an  opportunity  to  show  our  appreciation  and  re- 
spect for  what  they  have  done  for  us.  *~  ^HCTOf 

Loyalty  to  one's  country  is  a  beautiful  sentiment, 
and  the  question  arises  as  to  how  many  of  our  boys 
and  girls  know  "My  Country,  Tis  of  Thee,"  "Co- 
lumbia ' '  and  ' '  The  Star  Spangled  Banner, ' '  and  how 
many  of  them  rise  when  our  national  hymn  is  played 
in  their  hearing  ? 

Is  it  not  time  that  the  American  people  direct  the 
thoughts  of  our  future  citizens  along  this  line  of 
education  in  order  to  encourage  that  Reeling  of 
"pride  of  country"  so  essential  to  our  public  wel- 
fare? 

A  group  of  foreigners  were  standing  on  a  crowded 
thoroughfare  in  one  of  our  American  cities  when  the 
band  struck  up  "America."  One  of  the  group  re- 
marked that  the  American  people  displayed  so  little 
enthusiasm  over  their  national  music.  In  foreign 
countries  the  people  have  to  pay  every  respect  to 
their  national  airs  to  please  their  rulers,  but  in  free- 
dom-loving America  it  should  please  the  American 
people  to  accord  honor  to  their  country  on  every 
occasion,  for  it  is  the  greatest  of  all  the  great  coun- 
tries of  the  world. 


186  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

It  is  hoped  the  time  will  come  when  every  boy  and 
girl  in  Montague  County  will  sing  "America,"  "Hail 
Columbia"  and  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner"  with 
the  "spirit  and  the  understanding."  It  will  interest 
the  boys  and  girls  to  know  something  of  the  origin  of 
these  songs,  a  brief  history  of  which  is  as  follows : 

The  author  of  that  grand,  soul-thrilling  song, 
"America,"  was  Dr.  Samuel  Francis  Smith  of  New- 
ton Center,  Mass.  Not  long  ago  a  movement  was 
started  to  preserve  the  old  home  of  the  author,  and 
to  make  it  a  place  where  souvenirs  connected  with 
the  poet  and  song  writer  may  be  gathered  together, 
to  be  viewed  by  both  the  present  and  future  genera- 
tions. Dr.  Smith  was  nature's  poet,  as  may  be  im- 
agined by  his  songs  and  poems.  As  he  contemplated 
the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  his  own,  his  native 
land,  his  patriotic  soul  burst  forth  in  song  and  he 
gives  to  the  world  these  glorious  verses : 

"My  country,  'tis  of  thee,  sweet  land  of  Liberty, 
Of  thee  I  sing :  Land  where  my  fathers  died, 
Land  of  the  Pilgrim's  pride,  from  every  moun- 
tain side 

Let  freedom  ring. 

t 

1 1  My  native  country,  thee,  land  of  the  noble  free, 
Thy  name  I  love ;  I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills,  my  heart  with  rap- 
ture thrills, 

Like  that  above. 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  187 

"Let  music  swell  the  breeze,  and  ring  from  all  the 

trees, 

Sweet  freedom's  song ;  let  mortal  tongues  awake, 
Let  all  that  breathes  partake,  let  rocks  their  si- 
lence break, 
The  sound  prolong. 

"Our  father's  God  to  thee,  author  of  liberty, 

To  thee  we  sing ;  long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light!  Protect  us  by  thy 
might, 

Great  God,  our  King. 

This  hymn  was  first  sung  in  public  at  a  children 's 
Fourth  of  July  celebration  in  1832,  in  the  old  Park 
Street  Church,  Boston. 

"Hail  Columbia"  was  written  by  Joseph  Hopkin- 
son  in  1798.  The  writer  claims  for  this  song  the  dis- 
tinction o£  having  brought  about  peaceable  relations 
between  France  and  America,  when  war  seemed  in- 
evitable. The  poet  tells  in  the  following  words  how 
he  came  to  write  "Hail  Columbia :" 

The  contest  between  England  was  raging  and  the 
people  of  the  United  States  were  divided  into  parties 
for  the  one  side  or  the  other.  The  object  of  the  au- 
thor was  to  create  an  American  sentiment  which 
should,  independent  of  and  above  the  interests,  pas- 
sions and  policies  of  both  belligerents,  cause 
them  to  look  and  feel  exclusively  for  our  honor  and 


188  HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

rights.  The  song  found  instant  favor  with  both 
parties,  to  which  the  author,  whether  wisely  or  not, 
attributes  the  most  gratifying  results.  The  words 
are: 

"Hail  Columbia,  happy  land,  hail  ye  heroes, 

Heaven-born  band, 

Who  fought  and  bled  in  freedom's  cause, 
"Who  fought  and  bled  in  freedom's  cause, 
And  when  the  storm  of  war  was  gone, 
Enjoyed  the  peace  your  valor  won ; 
Let  independence  be  our  boast, 
Ever  mindful  what  it  cost, 
Ever  grateful  for  the  prize, 
Let  its  altar  reach  the  skies. 

Chorus — 

"Firm,  united  let  us  be,  rallying  round  our  liberty, 
As  a  band  of  brothers  joined, 
Peace  and  safety  shall  we  find. 

"Immortal  patriots,  rise  once  more, 
Defend  your  rights,  defend  your  shore 
Let  no  rude  foe,  with  impious  hand, 
Let  no  rude  foe,  with  impious  hand, 
Invade  the  shrine  where  sacred  lies, 
Of  toil  and  blood,  the  well  earned  prize, 
While  offering  peace  sincere  and  just ; 
In  heaven  we  place  a  manly  trust, 
That  truth  and  justice  shall  prevail, 
And  every  scene  of  bondage  fail." 


HISTORY  OF  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  189 

"The  Star  Spangled  Banner,  another  of  our  na- 
tional airs,  was  written  by  Francis  Scott  Key  in  1814, 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances.  The  writer 
was  being  held  a  prisoner  on  board  a  British  vessel 
while  the  British  were  bombarding  Fort  McHenry. 
As  he  paced  the  deck  in  doubt  as  to  what  would  be 
the  outcome,  he  drew  out  an  envelope  and  scribbled 
the  outline  of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner."  It  has 
been  often  said  of  this  song  that  it  breathes  the 
purest  patriotism.  While  "  America "  is  called  the 
national  hymn  of  the  republic,  the  "Star  Spangled 
Banner ' '  is  called  our  ' '  National  Hymn. ' '  The  words 
of  this  inspiring  song  are : 

"Oh,  say,  can  you  see,  by  the  dawn's  early  light, 
What  so  proudly  we  hailed  at  twilight 's  last  gleam- 
ing, 
Whose  broad  stripes  and  bright  stars  through  the 

perilous  fight, 
O'er  the  ramparts  we  watched  were  so  gallantly 

streaming  ? 

And  the  rocket 's  red  glare,  the  bombs  bursting  in  air, 
Gave  proof  through  the  night  that  our  flag  waa 
still  there. 

Chorus — 

"Oh,  say,  does  that  Star  Spangled  Banner  yet  wave, 
0  'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave  ? 
On  the  shore  dimly  seen,  through  the  mists  of  the 
deep, 


190  HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY. 

Where  the  foe's  haughty  host  in  dread  silence  re- 
poses, 
What  is  that  which  the  breeze,  o'er  the  towering 

steep, 

As  it  fitfully  blows,  half  conceals,  half  discloses  ? 

Now  it  catches  the  gleam  of  the  morning 's  first  beam, 

In  full  glory  reflected,  now  shines  on  the  stream: 

Tis  the  star  spangled  banner,  oh,  long  may  it  wave 

O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave. 

"And  where  is  that  band  who  so  vauntingly  swore 

That  the  havoc  of  war  and  the  battle's  confusion, 
A  home  and  a  country  should  leave  us  no  more  ? 

Their  blood  has  washed  out  their  foul  footsteps' 

pollution. 
No  refuge  could  save  the  hireling  and  slave, 

From  the  terror  of  flight  or  the  gloom  of  the  grave. 
And  the  'Star  Spangled  Banner'  in  triumph  doth 
wave 

0  'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave. 

"Oh,  thus  be  it  ever,  when  free  men  shall  stand 
Between  their  loved  home,  and  wild  war's  desola- 
tion; 

Blest  with  vict'ry  and  peace,  may  the  heaven's  res- 
cued land 

Praise  the  Power  that  hath  made  and  preserved 
us  a  nation. 


HISTORY  OP  MONTAGUE  COUNTY.  191 

Then  conquer  we  must,  when  our  cause  it  is  just,  and 

this  be  our  motto, 

In  God  is  our  trust !  And  the  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner in  triumph  shall  wave 

O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 


